Ownership guide
Piper PA 46-350P Malibu Mirage
655 registered in the US, built from about 1989 to 2025, 6 seats, most with the Lycoming TIO-540. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 655
- Built
- 1989 to 2025
- Half built by
- 2008
- Seats
- 6
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Lycoming TIO-540
Engines installed
- Lycoming TIO-540604 aircraft (92%) · 32 ADs, 5 with a repeat action
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A13 aircraft (2%) · 24 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
17 current ADs name the PA 46-350P airframe, 3 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded. Its engines carry 56 more. 11 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
33 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Elevator Structure2
- Magneto/Distributor2
- Ignition System2
- Fuselage Main, Plate/Skin2
- Nose/Tail Landing Gear2
- Wing, Plate/Skin2
Parts reported most
- Doubler, cracked2
- Skin, cracked2
- Horn, worn1
- Magneto, failed1
- Ignition sys, defective1
- None, worn1
The latest reports
2026-10-01 · Horizontal Stabilizer Structure · Bolt, backed out
After the airplane was put away, noticed the left elevator hinge bolt has backed out and the elevator was hanging, disconnected from the horizontal stabilizer. if this had happened in flight, it is possible that the airplane would have been uncontrollable.
2025-09-17 · Wing, Plate/Skin · Skin, cracked
During exterior inspection on january 15 2025 and again july 2, 2025, multiple cracks were observed in the wing upper skin panels of both the left and right wings, as well as in the fuselage structure adjacent to the cabin entry door. left wing upper surface: cracks approx. 3.5'5.5 in. extending aft from panel joints adjacent to rivet lines. right wing upper surface: cracks approx. 3'5 in. at pa
2024-09-19 · Landing Gear Retraction/Extension System · Valve, multiple fail
5 month old emergency extension valve failed operational check, installed in new condition. received and installed new emergency extension valve, in manufacturers package with 8130. installed, inspected rigging and bled gear system. performed initial gear swings (2). on third swing, performed emergency extension per piper procedure. stowed breaker, system built pressure as per usual. placed gear i
2024-08-23 · Engine Oil Indicating System · Transducer, failed
In late june 2023 after landing at wick scotland on a transatlantic our ferry pilot noticed a substantial amount of oil leaking out under the aircraft, troubleshooting showed that the oil pressure transducer ( piper part number 688-417 ) has structurally failed ,, the back end seal had failed and oil was shooting of the unit, our mechanic flew up from prague with a spare part that was installed an
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
63 accidents since 2008, 16 fatal (43 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 11 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of control in flight9
- Loss of engine power (total)7
- Loss of control on ground6
- Aerodynamic stall/spin4
- Runway excursion4
- Landing gear not configured3
Phase of flight
- Landing26
- Approach10
- Takeoff9
- Enroute9
- Initial climb3
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | Sioux city, IA | Takeoff: Loss of engine power (partial) | None | CEN26LA100 |
| 2025-10-20 | Queen creek, AZ | Approach: Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT) | None | WPR26LA025 |
| 2025-09-23 | Lake havasu city, AZ | Landing: Landing gear not configured | None | WPR25LA293 |
| 2025-05-18 | Kilkeel | Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land | None | GAA25WA170 |
| 2025-05-11 | Greenwood, IN | Takeoff: Loss of engine power (total) | Serious | CEN25LA175 |
| 2025-03-19 | Henderson, NV | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | WPR25LA117 |
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 elevator structure and for cracked doublers: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 11 equipment ADs name the PA 46-350P (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.
Questions
- How many Piper PA 46-350Ps are registered in the US?
- 655, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Piper PA 46-350P built?
- From about 1989 to 2025. Half of those registered today were built by 2008.
- What engine does the Piper PA 46-350P have?
- Most have the Lycoming TIO-540 (92% of those registered); others have the Pratt & Whitney PT6A.
- What are common problems with the Piper PA 46-350P?
- In 33 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were elevator structure, magneto/distributor, ignition system, and the part most often reported was a cracked doubler.
- How many accidents has the Piper PA 46-350P had?
- 63 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 16 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 46-350P have?
- 17 current ADs name the PA 46-350P airframe, 3 of them with a repeat action, and 56 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.