Socata TBM-900

Overview

The Daher TBM 900 is the 2014 aerodynamic redesign of the SOCATA TBM single-engine turboprop line, and the first model built under sole Daher ownership. A five-blade composite Hartzell propeller, winglets, a redesigned engine inlet and exhaust, and extensive drag cleanup lifted maximum cruise to 330 KTAS at FL280 (326 KTAS at the 31,000 ft ceiling) while trimming fuel burn, all from the same 850-shp Pratt & Whitney PT6A-66D as the preceding TBM 850. The result is a pressurized, six-seat airplane that cruises in the low flight levels at near-light-jet speeds on a single engine’s fuel.

For the owner-pilot, the TBM 900 is a fast cross-country single: a pressurized FL310 cabin, 1,730 nm of range, and the operating economics of one PT6A rather than two. Production ran in 2014 and 2015 before the avionics split of 2016 brought the TBM 930 (Garmin G3000 touchscreen) and TBM 910 (G1000 NXi), with the 940 and 960 following as later successors. This record covers the G1000-equipped 900; the 930 is the same airframe and powerplant with the G3000 flight deck.

Key Features for GA Buyers

• Near-jet cruise on one turbine. 326 KTAS at the FL310 ceiling (330 KTAS at FL280) from a single 850-shp PT6A-66D, the speed that defined the 900 over the 850 it replaced.
• Pressurized, FL310-certified cabin. A 6.2 psi differential holds a roughly 9,700 ft cabin at the 31,000 ft ceiling, keeping the TBM above most weather and out of supplemental-oxygen territory.
• Single-PT6A economics. One engine to fuel, maintain, and reserve against, for materially lower hourly and annual cost than a cabin-class twin turboprop like the King Air 250.
• Strong type support and residuals. An active factory, a continuous product line through the 960, and a deep owner-pilot community keep parts, training, and resale liquidity strong.

Trade-offs

• Single-engine in the flight levels. The TBM’s mission routinely puts it over terrain and weather where an engine failure is consequential; buyers cross-shopping the King Air accept one engine for the economics.
• Demanding qualification. High-performance, complex, high-altitude, and instrument competence required, and insurers typically mandate type-specific and recurrent training for owner-pilots.
• Cabin narrower than the PC-12. The TBM trades cabin volume and an aft cargo door for speed and a smaller frontal area; the PC-12 wins when interior space and payload flexibility outweigh cruise.
• Acquisition cost. A used 900 trades around $3M, and its insurance and recurrent-training requirements add materially to the true cost of ownership.

See Also

• Socata TBM 850 – the immediate predecessor; same PT6A, pre-redesign airframe. Compare
• Daher TBM 940 – later successor adding autothrottle and a G3000 NXi deck. Compare
• Daher TBM 960 – current-production successor with e-throttle and Prop e-Control. Compare
• Pilatus PC-12 – the single-turboprop competitor with a larger cabin and slower cruise. Compare
• Epic E1000 – composite single turboprop matching the TBM on speed. Compare
• Piper M600 – pressurized single-turboprop competitor a tier down on speed and price. Compare