On July 17, 2026 the FAA issued Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2026-14-08 for Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH DA 42 airplanes. This AD was prompted by occurrences of uncommanded rudder deflection caused by a cracked nose landing gear (NLG) hydraulic actuator rod end, which could lead to failure of the NLG actuator and interference with the rudder control system, forcing the rudder into left-hand deflection. This AD requires repetitive inspections of the affected part, and, for certain airplanes, a prohibition of touch and go takeoffs and landings, pending accomplishment of the initial inspection. The AD is published in the Federal Register here. For further information about this AD, please contact Zakaria Abdi, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA; email: zakaria.f.abdi@faa.gov.
