12/31/2011. Remarks by Doug Duncan: "The Duchess is very similar in appearance to the Piper PA-44 Seminole, and also shares the Seminole's contra-rotating engine arrangement to eliminate the "critical engine" factor. This keeps the yaw moment closer to the aircraft's center line should one of the engines fail or need to be shut down.

Registered to Magnum Assets, Inc. and operated by Pro Aviation Flight Training School (both of Fort Worth, Texas) this aircraft was lost on October 26, 2011. Some ten minutes after take off from Hicks Airfield Fort Worth, Texas, the aircraft encountered problems with the right engine. While maneuvering in the vicinity of Hicks airfield, the aircraft impacted terrain nose first and there was an immediate fire. The flight instructor and the private pilot were critically injured and the back-seater received minor injuries."