Ownership guide
Piper PA-46-310P Malibu
213 registered in the US, built from about 1983 to 1988, 6 seats, most with the Continental TSIO-520. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 213
- Built
- 1983 to 1988
- Half built by
- 1985
- Seats
- 6
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental TSIO-520
Engines installed
- Continental TSIO-520176 aircraft (83%) · 45 ADs, 3 with a repeat action
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A7 aircraft (3%) · 24 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
- Continental IO-5205 aircraft (2%) · 28 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
26 current ADs name the PA-46-310P airframe, 3 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded. Its engines carry 97 more. 10 equipment ADs name the model.
The ones that come back
ADs with a repeat action: an inspection or replacement at an interval, for as long as the AD applies. These are the airworthiness costs an owner keeps paying.
- 2015-13-09Requires installing cable ties around the cabin altitude encoder and the supporting structure, adding thread-locking compound to the threads of the existing single fastener; and repetitively inspecting the cable ties...Cabin pressure control system · AirplaneRepeat actionJul 7, 2015
- 2011-06-10Engine indicatingAirplaneSupersedes 99-15-04 R1Repeat actionApr 1, 2011
- 99-15-04Requires calibrating the turbine inlet temperature system to assure the accuracy of the existing turbine inlet temperature indicator and wiring for all of the applicable airplanes, and repairing or replacing any...The New Piper Aircraft, Inc. Models PA- 46-310P and PA-46-350P Airplanes · AirplaneRepeat actionJul 13, 1999
What gets reported
1 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Engine Fuel Pump1
Parts reported most
- Pump, leaking1
The latest reports
2025-09-12 · Engine Fuel Pump · Pump, leaking
During a planned flight from fort worth meacham (kftw) to kenosha, wi (kenw), the pilot of a piper pa-46-310p malibu experienced a fuel system anomaly. approximately 3 hours into the flight at fl230, the pilot observed the indicated fuel quantity decreasing three times faster than the fuel totalizer showed. suspecting a leak, the pilot diverted to aurora, il (karr) to remain clear of chicago class
From the FAA's Service Difficulty Reporting System, refreshed monthly. Counts of what was reported, not failure rates: most of general aviation reports voluntarily, and a busy training fleet reports more than a private one.
Accident record
24 accidents since 2008, 7 fatal (16 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 3 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of control in flight4
- Loss of engine power (total)3
- Loss of control on ground2
- System or component failure (not the engine)2
- Birdstrike1
- Fuel exhaustion1
Phase of flight
- Enroute10
- Landing5
- Initial climb3
- Approach3
- Maneuvering1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-26 | El paso, TX | Enroute: Loss of engine power (total) | None | CEN26LA030 |
| 2024-09-27 | Eden prairie, MN | Enroute: Birdstrike | None | CEN24LA372 |
| 2023-10-11 | Chandler, AZ | Initial climb: Fuel exhaustion | None | WPR24LA012 |
| 2023-03-24 | Springfield, KY | Enroute: Loss of control in flight | None | WPR23LA236 |
| 2021-12-01 | Cassville, MO | Landing: Runway excursion | None | CEN22LA060 |
| 2021-04-23 | Danville, AR | Enroute: Structural icing | Fatal | CEN21FA198 |
From the NTSB's aviation accident database, refreshed monthly; accidents only, homebuilts left out. Counts, not rates: nobody publishes how many hours each model flies, and a training fleet flies far more than a private one. Look up any case by its number in the NTSB's CAROL.
What it costs to run
Per hour flown
Per year, flown or not
- Fuel
- $0/hr
- Engine reserve
- $0/hr
- A year
- $0
- All in, per hour
- $0/hr
Everything else is yours to fill in: insurance, hangar and overhaul prices vary too much by pilot, airport and shop for a default to mean anything. Nothing you type leaves this page.
Before you buy one
- Run its N-number through the AD check: every AD that names its airframe and engine, as a checklist to take to the logbooks.
- For each repeat-action AD (3 on the airframe), find the last compliance in the logbooks and when the next one is due.
- Compare the engine's time since overhaul with its maker's published overhaul time, and look for the reason behind any long gap in flying.
- Ask the mechanic doing the pre-buy to look hard at the engine fuel pump and for leaking pumps: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 10 equipment ADs name the PA-46-310P (a muffler, a seat belt, a display): find out which of that equipment is installed.
- Check the registration, the airworthiness certificate and the date of the last annual inspection.
- Work out the sales or use tax your state will charge with the aircraft tax calculator.
The rest of the PA-46 family
Questions
- How many Piper PA-46-310Ps are registered in the US?
- 213, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Piper PA-46-310P built?
- From about 1983 to 1988. Half of those registered today were built by 1985.
- What engine does the Piper PA-46-310P have?
- Most have the Continental TSIO-520 (83% of those registered); others have the Pratt & Whitney PT6A, Continental IO-520.
- What are common problems with the Piper PA-46-310P?
- In 1 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were engine fuel pump, and the part most often reported was a leaking pump.
- How many accidents has the Piper PA-46-310P had?
- 24 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 7 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of control in flight. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Piper PA-46-310P have?
- 26 current ADs name the PA-46-310P airframe, 3 of them with a repeat action, and 97 more name its engines. Whether each applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number and installed equipment.
Figures from the FAA aircraft registry and the FAA's Airworthiness Directives, rebuilt daily. An AD listed for a model is one to read; whether it applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number, equipment and records.