Ownership guide
Airbus A320-232
297 registered in the US, built from about 1993 to 2018, 200 seats, most with the Iae V2500SERIES. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 297
- Built
- 1993 to 2018
- Half built by
- 2004
- Seats
- 200
- Engine type
- Turbofan
- Most common engine
- Iae V2500SERIES
Engines installed
- Iae V2500SERIES168 aircraft (57%)
- Iae V2527112 aircraft (38%) · 8 ADs, 2 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
62 current ADs name the A320-232 airframe, 10 with a repeat action; 14 more were superseded. Its engines carry 8 more. 13 equipment ADs name the model.
The ones that come back
ADs with a repeat action: an inspection or replacement at an interval, for as long as the AD applies. These are the airworthiness costs an owner keeps paying.
- 2019-03-28DoorsAirplaneSupersedes 2016-07-23Repeat actionMar 11, 2019
- 2018-23-02Requires repetitive inspections and checks of the lower and upper THSA attachments and applicable related investigative and corrective actions; a one-time inspection of the THSA lower attachment and replacement as...Flight controls · AirplaneRepeat actionNov 23, 2018
- 2016-25-24Requires repetitive general visual inspections for broken battery retaining rods and replacement if necessaryElectrical system installation · AirplaneRepeat actionDec 16, 2016
- 2015-08-08WingsAirplaneSupersedes 2014-26-53Repeat actionApr 27, 2015
- 2015-03-02Requires repetitive detailed inspections of the outboard main landing gear (MLG) support rib lower flange fasteners for discrepancies, and corrective actions if necessaryWings · AirplaneRepeat actionFeb 9, 2015
- 2013-26-14WingsAirplaneSupersedes 2008-08-04Repeat actionMar 28, 2014
- 2005-26-07Requires revising the airplane flight manual by incorporating new procedures to follow in the event of a fuel leakAirbus Model A318-100, A319-100, A320-200, A321-100, and A321-200 Series Airplanes; and Model A320-111 Airplanes · AirplaneRepeat actionDec 27, 2005
- 97-09-04Requires repetitive testing of certain fire shutoff valves (FSOV) on the left and right engines, repetitive checks of certain parts on the FSOV motors, and replacement of discrepant valves with modified valvesAirbus SAS Airplanes · AirplaneRepeat actionMay 29, 1997
- 96-25-07Airbus AirplanesAirplaneSupersedes 94-01-11Repeat actionDec 19, 1996
- 94-03-04Requires repetitive inspections to detect breakage of the rivet heads at a certain skin-to-frame junction of the fuselage and replacement of discrepant rivetsAirbus Airplanes · AirplaneRepeat actionMar 14, 1994
What gets reported
1,500 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Emergency Lighting199
- Fuselage Miscellaneous Structure198
- Air Distribution System100
- Emergency Equipment77
- Fuselage Main, Structure55
- Fuselage Main, Floor Beam52
Parts reported most
- Floor support, corroded85
- Unknown, odor79
- Floorbeam, corroded50
- None, none42
- Bottle, low pressure38
- Unknown, unknown36
The latest reports
2026-09-27 · Fuel Storage · Fuel cap, missing
Fueler reports underwing fuel cap missing prior to fueling acft. complied with cdl. placard installed dispatch desk: approved for cdl 28a placard installed missing fuel cap per amm 28-25-41. ops check is good. no defects noted. original fuel cap was missing.parts used: 31-2825-9-0001, qty :1 pos - x mfg pn on - 0727540 mfg sn on - c171449 m&e sn on - 07189 m&e pn on - 31-2825-9-0001 mfg sn off - c
2026-09-21 · Fuselage, Door Hinge · Hinge fitting, worn
Aircraft in base maintenance: left main landing gear door forward hinge fitting worn allowing the bearing to migrate - replaced the hinge fitting per cmm 52-81-18
2026-09-20 · Fuselage, Door Hinge · Hinge fitting, worn
Aircraft in base maintenance: right main landing gear door forward hinge fitting has excessive play ue to wear - replaced hinge fitting per cmm 52-81-18
2026-09-08 · Passenger/Crew Doors · Bottle, faulted
L1 door assist bottle in the disarmed position. rearmed l1 door assist bottle iaw amm 52-10-00-860-002-a. verified l1 door asst bottle in the armed position and saftied iaw gmm 09-25-05 rearmed l1 door assist damper iaw amm 52-10-00-860-002-a. reset circuit breakers and removed door disarming lock pin.
From the FAA's Service Difficulty Reporting System, refreshed monthly. Counts of what was reported, not failure rates: most of general aviation reports voluntarily, and a busy training fleet reports more than a private one.
Accident record
9 accidents since 2009, 0 fatal, 0 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Turbulence encounter5
- Tailstrike2
- Ground collision1
- Abrupt maneuver1
Phase of flight
- Enroute3
- Taxi2
- Approach2
- Landing1
- Takeoff1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-04 | Punta cana | Enroute: Turbulence encounter | Serious | DCA26WA177 |
| 2026-03-19 | Atlantic ocean, AO | Enroute: Turbulence encounter | Serious | DCA26LA165 |
| 2025-11-29 | Chicago, IL | Taxi: Ground collision | None | DCA26LA047B |
| 2024-07-17 | Orlando, FL | Taxi: Abrupt maneuver | Serious | DCA24LA241 |
| 2023-09-25 | Caribbean sea, AO | Enroute: Turbulence encounter | Serious | DCA23LA462 |
| 2023-03-22 | Houston, TX | Landing: Tailstrike | None | DCA23LA221 |
From the NTSB's aviation accident database, refreshed monthly; accidents only, homebuilts left out. Counts, not rates: nobody publishes how many hours each model flies, and a training fleet flies far more than a private one. Look up any case by its number in the NTSB's CAROL.
What it costs to run
Per hour flown
Per year, flown or not
- Fuel
- $0/hr
- Engine reserve
- $0/hr
- A year
- $0
- All in, per hour
- $0/hr
Everything else is yours to fill in: insurance, hangar and overhaul prices vary too much by pilot, airport and shop for a default to mean anything. Nothing you type leaves this page.
Before you buy one
- Run its N-number through the AD check: every AD that names its airframe and engine, as a checklist to take to the logbooks.
- For each repeat-action AD (10 on the airframe), find the last compliance in the logbooks and when the next one is due.
- Compare the engine's time since overhaul with its maker's published overhaul time, and look for the reason behind any long gap in flying.
- Ask the mechanic doing the pre-buy to look hard at the emergency lighting and for corroded floor supports: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 13 equipment ADs name the A320-232 (a muffler, a seat belt, a display): find out which of that equipment is installed.
- Check the registration, the airworthiness certificate and the date of the last annual inspection.
- Work out the sales or use tax your state will charge with the aircraft tax calculator.
Questions
- How many Airbus A320-232s are registered in the US?
- 297, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Airbus A320-232 built?
- From about 1993 to 2018. Half of those registered today were built by 2004.
- What engine does the Airbus A320-232 have?
- Most have the Iae V2500SERIES (57% of those registered); others have the Iae V2527.
- What are common problems with the Airbus A320-232?
- In 1,500 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were emergency lighting, fuselage miscellaneous structure, air distribution system, and the part most often reported was a corroded floor support.
- How many accidents has the Airbus A320-232 had?
- 9 in the NTSB's database since 2009, 0 of them fatal. The most common defining event was turbulence encounter. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Airbus A320-232 have?
- 62 current ADs name the A320-232 airframe, 10 of them with a repeat action, and 8 more name its engines. Whether each applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number and installed equipment.
Figures from the FAA aircraft registry and the FAA's Airworthiness Directives, rebuilt daily. An AD listed for a model is one to read; whether it applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number, equipment and records.