This was a significant finding for two reasons. Currently, Piper offers the M350, M500, and M600 in the PA-46 family. Aside from its ramp appeal, it has a high-flying pressurized cabin, 200-knot cruise speed and its impressive range. So the static longitudinal stability of the airplane could not be questioned. 9-65 Corrected spelling. Another assumption was that it would take a crew just three seconds to recognize and correct an autopilot problem. In the Mirage, the pilot couldn't easily pull the pitch trim circuit breaker. Piper did a static load test of the Malibu's tail and found that it failed at 239 percent of its 3.8-G limit load, or approximately 9 Gs. The piston training program introduces the pilot to the Piper Matrix, Malibu, Mirage or M350 aircraft, and it consists of up to 28 hours over four consecutive days. Thus, the PA–46-500TP Malibu … 3 9-61 Relocated info. from Cont. The autopilot supplements in the Piper manual still contain this preflight check. 1985 Piper Malibu. As a cross-country airplane, the Malibu has a very nice cockpit lay-out. Or did they not perform checks at all? The pilot had been fighting the autopilot during his descents and inducing huge mistrims in the process. Pilots also should understand that it's possible to program an autopilot climb that's beyond the performance capabilities of the airplane; commanding the autopilot to climb the airplane at a rate higher than it's able to execute, for example, can result in a stall. But the autopilot recommendations seem to carry a greater sense of urgency than the rest. Checked, or balked, maneuvers were also performed, at speeds ranging from 150 to 200 KIAS, at the different weights and CGs and at the standard 10- knot intervals. It's a maneuver designed not just to measure aerodynamic loads over the flight surfaces, but to simulate a panicky pilot trying desperately to keep his airplane within the design flight envelope and load limits — as might be the case in severe turbulence or convective activity. Another series of flight tests addressed the airplane's behavior at and below maneuvering speed. Finally, on December 5, 1991, the review was published. The other proposed autopilot AD would require a cover for the pitch servo unit. During the mid-1990s, Piper found strong interest in a potential turboprop variant of the company’s Malibu Mirage. The Piper PA-46 Malibu and Matrix are a family of American light aircraft manufactured by Piper Aircraft of Vero Beach, Florida. Still, it's interesting to take a look inside, especially at those sections dealing with the autopilot tests. Between May 1989 and March 1991, there were seven fatal accidents, six of them involving Malibus, one of them a Mirage. Did pilots do the check and ignore the findings? The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. After failing the vacuum system during an autopilot-controlled climb at 160 KIAS, the system commanded a continuation of the climb. A Malibu pilot called Bendix/King, complaining that his autopilot would oscillate wildly in pitch during attempts to level off from descent. Strain gauges were installed to measure aerodynamic stresses electronically. There is also co-pilot instruments on the right side of the dash. To this day, certification rules still carry the three-second-delay requirement before initiating a recovery from an autopilot malfunction. Revision FAA Approved Number and Revised Description of Revisions Signature Code Pages and Date Rev. Some delays were as long as 24 seconds, others just under five minutes. 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