Here’s a super idea that was presented to me by Tim (anonymous) to cheaply and accurately identify important circuit breakers in your PA-46. Certain circuit breakers need identification since they are the ones that are critical to flight.
Here’s a few that I’d label in a PA-46:
- HYD PUMP: If you have a landing gear problem, this CB will be the one you need to find. If the hydraulic pump runs incessantly, you’ll need to pull this CB to ensure the pump doesn’t overheat.
- PITCH TRIM: In case of a runaway trim servo, you’ll want to find this CB fast.
- AUTOPILOT: There’s several ways to disconnect the autopilot, and this is one of them. Probably not your first line of defense, but still its a good CB to know.
- Emergency Bleed (in a Meridian): Only in the Meridian, this CB should be pulled in case of an over-heat situation.
- CABIN PRESS: If the landing gear squat switch fails, it can command the pressurization safety valve to open, which will dump the cabin pressure. If this happens at higher altitudes, first done the O2 mask, start a descent, and then hunt down the CB. If it is simply a squat switch failure, pulling this CB will restore cabin pressurization.
- FLAP WARN: Your flaps can freeze in position if the load on the flap motor exceeds limits. To return function to the switch, you’ll need to reset this CB. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of knowing the location of this CB on an approach…if the flaps are to “freeze” in position, it’ll almost always occur on an approach, and a go-around with stuck flaps can be a real challenge, especially in a piston PA46.
