SERVICE LETTER NO. 1285B
Piper M600 · Pilot's Operating Handbook
Overview
This document is a service letter from Piper Aircraft, Inc., specifically addressing tire pressure maintenance for multiple aircraft models, including the Piper M600. It provides updated tire inflation pressures and guidelines for maintaining proper tire pressure, which is crucial for safe aircraft operation. The letter emphasizes the importance of checking tire pressure daily before the first flight and outlines the acceptable pressure ranges for various models. It also includes instructions for incorporating this information into the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) and highlights the need for compliance with the new guidelines. This service letter is intended for aircraft owners, maintenance personnel, and pilots to ensure safety and proper maintenance practices.
- Tire pressure for Piper M600 should be 88 psi (max) for the nose gear and 95 psi (max) for the main gear when loaded.
- Tire pressure should be checked daily before the first flight, or before each flight if flown less than once a day.
- Aviation tires can lose up to 5% of pressure in a 24-hour period without requiring inspection.
- Proper tire maintenance is crucial for safe ground steering and overall aircraft safety.
- Adjust tire pressure for ambient temperature changes, especially when traveling between locations with significant temperature differences.
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In this document
Proper Tire Maintenance
This section outlines the importance of maintaining proper tire pressure for safe aircraft operation. It states that tire pressure should be checked daily before the first flight, and if the aircraft is flown less than once a day, pressure should be checked before each flight. The section also notes that tires can lose up to five percent of pressure in a 24-hour period without requiring inspection, but any pressure below 95 percent of nominal after two consecutive days should prompt an inspection.
Tire Pressure Guidelines
Table 1 provides the nominal loaded and unloaded tire pressure ranges for various Piper models, including the M600. For the M600, the recommended tire pressures are 88 psi (max) for the nose gear and 95 psi (max) for the main gear when loaded. It is emphasized that tire pressures should be measured when the tires are cold and adjusted for ambient temperature changes.
Replacement Placards and POH Revision
This section discusses the availability of replacement placards for tire service instructions and the upcoming revisions to the Pilot's Operating Handbook. It instructs aircraft owners to order the new placards and install them in conjunction with the POH revisions, ensuring that all maintenance documentation is current and compliant.
Safety notes
- Always check tire pressure when tires are cold, meaning they have not been operated for at least three hours.
- Visual inspections are insufficient; use a calibrated tire gauge to measure tire pressure accurately.
Full document text
Piper Aircraft, Inc. 2926 Piper Drive Vero Beach, FL, U.S.A. 32960 Date: June 15, 2021 (S) (OVER) SERVICE LETTER NO. 1285B ATA/JASC: 3244 Service Letter (SL) 1285B supersedes SL 1285A in its entirety. SUBJECT: PROPER TIRE PRESSURE MAINTENANCE REASON FOR REVISION: SL 1285B corrects tire inflation pressures for multiple models (Table 1), adds a note regarding significant changes in ambient temperatures, and announces new placards for PA-46-600TP M600 aircraft. MODELS AFFECTED: SERIAL NUMBERS AFFECTED: PA-46-310P Malibu All PA-46-350P Mirage/M350 All PA-46R-350T Matrix All PA-46-500TP Meridian/M500 All PA-46-600TP M600 All COMPLIANCE TIME: Prior to first flight each day APPROVAL: The engineering aspects of this service document have been shown to comply with the applicable Federal Aviation Regulations and are FAA approved. PURPOSE: Part I: Part I of this service letter provides guidelines to ensure that all of the affected aircraft are operated with properly serviced nose and main gear tire pressures. Part II: For the models identified in Part II, revised placards are available, and the applicable Piper Pilot’s Operating Handbook revisions will be available soon. MAINTENANCE ALERT SERVICE LETTER NO. 1285B PAGE 2 of 4 INSTRUCTIONS: Part I. Proper Tire Maintenance NOTE: Information provided in this service letter will be incorporated into a future revision of the applicable Pilot’s Operating Handbooks (POH), placards for tire service instructions, and Piper Airplane Maintenance Manuals (AMM). Until the revisions are provided, the tire pressure information in this service letter supersedes that which is currently provided in the applicable POHs, placards and AMMs. Until the applicable POH revision is provided, place a copy of this service letter in Section 8, near the Tire Inflation paragraph, in the applicable POH. There are several safety benefits to proper tire maintenance, including its effect on ground steering. Maintaining proper aviation tire inflation pressure reduces the size of a tire’s rolling contact patch, which reduces the magnitude of the force associated with ground steering. According to tire manufacturers, aviation tire pressure should be checked daily, prior to the first flight of the day, when the tires are “cold.” (A cold tire is one that has the same temperature as the ambient environment, and has not been operated for at least three hours.) If an aircraft is flown less than one time per day, tire pressure should be checked prior to each flight (as part of the preflight inspection). Tire manufacturers state that aviation tires can acceptably lose no more than five (5) percent of pressure in a 24-hour period. (The nominal loaded tire pressure should be maintained daily, but a five percent loss in pressure is acceptable during a given day.) Tire manufacturers consider a tire pressure below 95 percent of the nominal loaded pressure during two (2) consecutive 24-hour periods to be a cause for inspection of the tire and wheel assembly. A visual inspection of aviation tires is insufficient to determine whether or not they have acceptable tire pressure. When looking at a tire, it may appear to be properly inflated when it could, in fact, be significantly underinflated. The only way to verify proper tire pressure is to measure the tire pressure with a quality, calibrated tire gauge. Table 1 provides the nominal loaded and unloaded tire pressure ranges for the affected aircraft. The applicable tire pressure provided in Table 1 shall be maintained daily – inflate tires if they are low – on active, flying aircraft. NOTE: Use nitrogen, if available, to inflate tires. It will not sustain combustion and will reduce degradation, due to oxidation, of the liner material, casing plies, and wheel. SERVICE LETTER NO. 1285B PAGE 3 of 4 TABLE 1 LOADED AND UNLOADED TIRE INFLATION PRESSURE MODEL TIRE PRESSURE (psi of cold tire) NOSE MAIN Unloaded (on jacks) Loaded (weight on wheels) Unloaded (on jacks) Loaded (weight on wheels) PA-46-310P Malibu 45 45 40 40 PA-46-350P Mirage/M350 50 max 50-52 55 max 55-57 PA-46R-350T Matrix 50 max 50-52 55 max 55-57 PA-46-500TP Meridian/M500: 6 Ply Tire – P/N 551-606 (Nose) 50 max 50-52 N/A 8 Ply Tires P/N 551-612 (Nose) 70 max 70-73 N/A P/N 551-609 (Main) N/A 55 max 55-57 10 Ply Tire – P/N 551-619 (Nose) 88 max 88-92 N/A PA-46-600TP M600 88 max 88-92 95 max 95-99 NOTE: Pressures specified in Table 1 apply to wheel assemblies measured when tires are at ambient temperature, and either unloaded (aircraft on jacks, or tires that are not installed) or loaded (weight on wheels). NOTE: As stated in tire manufacturers’ tire care and maintenance manuals, inflation pressure should be adjusted for ambient temperature effects. When tires are going to be subjected to ambient temperature differences between two locations in excess of 50°F (27°C), inflation pressures should be adjusted to the colder temperature prior to takeoff. An ambient temperature change of 5°F (3°C) produces a pressure change of approximately one (1) percent. For example, tire pressure on an aircraft that is departing Phoenix at 95°F (35° C) for Chicago at 45°F (7°C) should be adjusted for the destination’s colder conditions. The difference is 50°F (28°C), so the tire pressure should be increased by 10 percent before departing Phoenix. This practice also applies when checking pressure in a heated hangar during the winter. SERVICE LETTER NO. 1285B PAGE 4 of 4 MATERIAL REQUIRED: For Part II, applicable placards listed in Table 2, per aircraft AVAILABILITY OF PARTS: Your Piper Approved Service Center EFFECTIVITY DATE: This service letter is effective upon receipt. SUMMARY: Please contact your Piper Approved Service Center to make arrangements for compliance with this service letter in accordance with the compliance time indicated. NOTE: Please notify the factory of any address/ownership corrections. Changes should include aircraft model, serial number, and current owner’s name and address. Corrections and/or changes should be directed to: PIPER AIRCRAFT, INC. Attn: Customer Service 2926 Piper Drive Vero Beach, FL 32960 or: CustomerService@piper.com Please include in subject line: “Aircraft ownership update” Part II. Replacement Placards and POH Revision NOTE: As replacement placards for the affected aircraft models become available, as well as the applicable POH revisions, then Table 2, below, will be updated and a revision to this service letter will be published. 1. Order the applicable tire and strut service instruction placards listed in Table 2, for the nose landing gear and main landing gear. 2. Installation of the replacement placards is to be accomplished in conjunction with the incorporation of the applicable POH revision shown in Table 2. NOTE: Upon completing Part II, remove any copy of this service letter from the POH (in Section 8, near the Tire Inflation paragraph). 3. Make a logbook entry documenting compliance with Part II of this service letter. TABLE 2 REPLACEMENT TIRE AND STRUT SERVICE PLACARDS PIPER MODEL LANDING GEAR PLACARD POH REVISION NOSE P/N MAIN P/N 1 PA-46-600TP M600 100700-164 100700-163 VB-2793, Rev. 7 VB-2366, Rev. 6 NOTE 1: Two main landing gear placards are required per aircraft.
