TBM 940

Overview

The Daher TBM 940 is the 2019 evolution of the TBM 900-series single-engine turboprop. It is built around the same 850-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66D and aerodynamically-cleaned airframe as the 900, 910, and 930, but is distinguished by two automation firsts in its class: an integrated autothrottle, the first fitted to a production turboprop in the TBM weight category, and, on 2020 and later airframes, Garmin’s HomeSafe emergency autoland. The autothrottle manages power from climb through approach off the Garmin G3000 touchscreen deck, easing the hand-flying workload that has always been the cost of single-pilot turbine speed.

Underneath the avionics, the 940 is the familiar TBM: a pressurized, six-seat airplane that cruises at 330 KTAS at FL280 on a single PT6A’s fuel, with 1,730 nm of range and a 31,000 ft ceiling. It shares the 900’s 7,394 lb MTOW and core performance, so the 940’s real contribution is workload and safety automation rather than raw numbers. It was produced from 2019 until the 2022 arrival of the TBM 960, which replaced the PT6A-66D and its manual power lever with the digitally-governed PT6E-66XT and single-lever e-throttle.

Key Features for GA Buyers

• Autothrottle workload relief. The first production-turboprop autothrottle in the TBM class manages power automatically from climb to approach, easing the single-pilot task at near-light-jet speeds.
• HomeSafe emergency autoland (2020+). Garmin’s autoland can take control and land the aircraft at a suitable airport if the pilot becomes incapacitated, a meaningful margin for the owner-flown mission.
• Near-jet cruise on one turbine. 330 KTAS at FL280 from a single 850-shp PT6A-66D, with the operating economics of one engine rather than a cabin-class twin.
• Pressurized FL310 cabin with short-field access. A pressurized cabin to 31,000 ft paired with sub-2,500 ft runway capability opens airports closed to most jets.

Trade-offs

• Single-engine in the flight levels. The TBM routinely flies over terrain and weather where an engine failure is consequential; buyers cross-shopping the King Air or PC-12 accept one engine for the economics and speed.
• Demanding qualification. High-performance, complex, high-altitude, pressurization, and instrument competence are required, and insurers typically mandate type-specific initial and recurrent training for owner-pilots.
• Superseded by the 960. The 2022 PT6E-66XT and e-throttle make the 940 the last manual-power-lever TBM, a distinction that can weigh on residuals against the current-production model.
• Cabin narrower than the PC-12. The TBM trades cabin volume and an aft cargo door for speed and a smaller frontal area.

See Also

• Socata TBM 900 – the airframe predecessor; same PT6A-66D, pre-autothrottle. Compare
• Daher TBM 960 – the current-production successor with the digital PT6E-66XT and e-throttle. 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