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and aerodynamic efficiency in mind, there simply is no practical way to install a robust directional suspension system. So, the pilot must remember that the nose wheel on any airplane has tremendous demands on it.
Back to those forces. Those forces are especially strong in a crosswind. All of the forces that make an airplane NOT want to track straight in a crosswind are corrected by the pilot exercising correct flight control inputs. If there is any drift or any misalignment in a tailwheel airplane, the airplane will head for the weeds. It is directionally unstable. The only savior in a tailwheel airplane is a well- trained pilot wiggling the sticks properly. In a nosewheel airplane, those same inputs are needed. Still, since the aircraft is directionally stable, the nosewheel airplane
will mask all sorts of buffoonery, ham-fistedness, and downright stupidity from an untrained, unknowing, and incompetent pilot.
A nose wheel airplane will usually handle incorrect inputs from the pilot. It will try to track straight. If the pilot does it wrong, the airplane could mask the wrong inputs 99 times out of 100 landings. But, on that one landing, when the nose wheel forces are too great, then something breaks. And, when something breaks, it fails with flair. We call it
a nose gear collapse, and it is expensive with a prop strike, possible runway departure, and potential airframe damage. These accidents are rarely fatal, but they cost the owner and/or insurance company a lot.
In the PA46, how the nose gear operates is substantially similar since 1984. There are different hydraulic systems, different tire pressures, and advancements have brought better actuators and trunnions. But the operation is strikingly similar since the early days. This is good because the system is remarkably good. Piper’s engineering on the PA46 is really, really good.
However, the nose gear is susceptible to damage from incorrect towing practices. Also, it requires more pedal pressure to control on the ground than other airplanes of its class.
But, for those minor weaknesses, it gives the vast benefits of being super-reliable, easy-to-handle in an emergency gear extension scenario. Plus, it is simple. Contrast the PA46 gear against other airplanes that have incredibly complex gear systems, and you’ll quickly deduce that the PA46 nose gear is quite the feat of engineering.
The Weak Link
If the landing gear is so good, why are we having so many landing accidents, nose gear collapses, and runway excursions?
All the signals point to the pilot in the left front seat. I believe we are seeing these accidents because of inadequate pilot training and because the PA46 community attracts pilots inexperienced with high-performance airplanes.
Could there be a design flaw? The landing gear in the PA46 is nearly 40 years old, and there have been hundreds
of thousands of landings, maybe millions. I’ve got about 15,000 landings in a PA46, and I’ve not seen any landing that was uncontrollable, and most of those landings have been with newbies during training events. There’s probably not a design flaw.
Could there be a manufacturing flaw? If this is the case, the NTSB will find the flaw, and Piper will undoubtedly honor their commitment to producing a quality airplane. They’ve done so in the past when they’ve found flaws in production, and I’m 100% sure they will back their product if it is discovered they’ve produced something that was less-than-expected.
In my experience training hundreds of PA46 pilots each year over the last 20 years, I see lots of misunderstanding of proper technique to landing the PA46, a lack of knowledge of how to land in a crosswind, and many don’t know
how to control the nose wheel on landing, especially
in the turbines.
The proper way to land a PA46 is substantially similar to other airplanes, with a few important nuances. When I am landing any nosewheel airplane, there are two over-arching thought processes that go through my head:
1.) I never land the airplane...I land one tire at a time.
2.) The nose wheel needs to be handled with good technique.
Let’s break that down. When you are in the landing flare, never think about landing the airplane. Think about landing a tire. If you land a tire, then you’ll fly with far more precision and with proper control inputs. “Aim small, miss small.” It’s a good quote from the wonderful movie “The Patriot.” It is good advice when landing an airplane. Land one tire at a time.
When landing, there’s almost always a wind of some sort, and that wind will have an effect upon landing. Figure out where the wind is coming from, even if just a wisp, and plan to land the upwind main landing gear tire first. This will
be a natural action if you use the ailerons to control drift, for that is all that ailerons do in the landing sequence... they control sideward drift. How much aileron do you use? Whatever it takes to put the airplane over the centerline.
When coming into land, fly that upwind tire to the ground. When it is on the ground, fly the downwind tire to the ground. This will require a bit more aileron, but it will be a very natural action.
What should the rudder pedals do on landing? The rudder pedals control the longitudinal axis of the airplane (the straight line from the prop spinner to the vertical stabilizer), aligning that longitudinal axis of the airplane with the runway centerline. Alignment...that is all the rudders do in the landing sequence.
There is confusion in the PA46 world about the proper use of the rudder and aileron in the landing sequence. If those last few paragraphs don’t resonate with you, reread them slowly. You need a good understanding of the proper use of the aileron and rudder before moving forward.
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