Ownership guide
Aviat A-1B
359 registered in the US, built from about 1998 to 2007, 2 seats, most with the Lycoming O-360. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 359
- Built
- 1998 to 2007
- Half built by
- 2002
- Seats
- 2
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Lycoming O-360
Engines installed
- Lycoming O-360290 aircraft (81%) · 24 ADs, 3 with a repeat action
- Lycoming IO-36034 aircraft (9%) · 29 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
- Lycoming O-3207 aircraft (2%) · 24 ADs, 3 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
1 current AD name the A-1B airframe, 1 with a repeat action. Its engines carry 77 more. 2 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.
What gets reported
7 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Propeller Blade Section1
- Landing Gear System1
- Hydraulic System, Main1
- Engine (Turbine/Turboprop)1
- Aircraft Fuel Distribution System1
- Magneto/Distributor1
Parts reported most
- Blade, debonded1
- Hose, abnormal1
- Accumulator, abnormal1
- Engine, bird ingestion1
- Strainer, misinstalled1
- Gearshaft, broken1
The latest reports
2023-03-15 · Landing Gear System · Hose, abnormal
After take-off during retraction of the landing gear doors remained extended due to loose of green hyd liquid. -landing gear emergency extension procedure was accomplished. dep. airport: pei, arr. airport: bog flight number av5200 ********************** in accordance with amm 32-11-22-400-011a/32-31-00-720-07-a the lockstray hoses actuactor was replaced test of the m.lg lockstay actuacting was per
2022-12-29 · Hydraulic System, Main · Accumulator, abnormal
Rto + gtb: abandoned take off (50kts) hyd blue sys lo press. in accordance with amm 29-12-42-000-001-a/400-001-a the blue power accumulator fin 2070gm was removed and replaced. and operational test and bleed sys. ok.
2022-08-08 · Engine (Turbine/Turboprop) · Engine, bird ingestion
Description: bird strike engine #1 rto was performed at 185 kts succesive explotions were experience and engine stalled later. action performed: iaw amm 05-51-14-200-803-a, and amm 05-51-19-200-001-a, inspection after a bird strike was performed and was 'evidence on eng 1 bird ingestion. iaw amm 72-00-00-200-006-a, insp'ction for fod on eng 1, was accomplished, and boroscope inspection was done wi
2020-06-01 · Propeller Blade Section · Blade, debonded
Blade shank area shows typical propeller wrinkles in paint. while removing the damaged paint, the fiberglass layers underneath were found un-bonded and flaking off the blade. only the paint was holding the fiberglass on. pictures were taken before and after. all fiberglass in the area was removed and properly installed.
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
44 accidents since 2008, 1 fatal (1 person killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 1 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of control on ground15
- Nose over/nose down6
- Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT)3
- Flight control sys failure2
- Low altitude operation/event2
- Loss of engine power (partial)2
Phase of flight
- Landing24
- Takeoff6
- Enroute4
- Initial climb4
- Maneuvering3
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-17 | Pilot grove, MN | Enroute: Flight control sys failure | Minor | CEN26LA295 |
| 2025-08-02 | Chisana, AK | Maneuvering: Low altitude operation/event | None | ANC25LA083 |
| 2024-11-19 | Show low, AZ | Takeoff: Loss of control on ground | None | WPR25LA044 |
| 2023-07-13 | Matanuska glacier, AK | Initial climb: Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT) | None | ANC23LA050 |
| 2023-06-24 | Las vegas, NV | Landing: Propeller or rotor struck a person | Serious | WPR23LA259 |
| 2023-05-21 | Mobile, AZ | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | WPR23LA195 |
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
Filled in for a Aviat A-1B with the Lycoming O-360: the engine maker's published overhaul time. 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 (1 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 propeller blade section and for debonded blades: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 2 equipment ADs name the A-1B (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 Aviat A-1Bs are registered in the US?
- 359, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Aviat A-1B built?
- From about 1998 to 2007. Half of those registered today were built by 2002.
- What engine does the Aviat A-1B have?
- Most have the Lycoming O-360 (81% of those registered); others have the Lycoming IO-360, Lycoming O-320.
- What are common problems with the Aviat A-1B?
- In 7 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were propeller blade section, landing gear system, hydraulic system, main, and the part most often reported was a debonded blade.
- How many accidents has the Aviat A-1B had?
- 44 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 1 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of control on ground. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Aviat A-1B have?
- 1 current ADs name the A-1B airframe, 1 of them with a repeat action, and 77 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.