Compare
Cessna 172M Skyhawk vs Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee 140
The two side by side, from the FAA registry, the FAA's Airworthiness Directives and Service Difficulty Reports, and the NTSB's accident database. Each has a full guide: Cessna 172M Skyhawk, Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee 140.
Where they differ
- The Cessna 172M fleet is younger: half of those registered were built by 1974, against 1968 for the Piper PA-28-140.
- Mechanics report the Cessna 172M's magneto/distributor most, and the Piper PA-28-140's reciprocating engine cylinder section.
Side by side
| Cessna 172M Skyhawk | Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee 140 | |
|---|---|---|
| Registered in the US | 3,533 | 4,154 |
| Built | 1972 to 1976 | 1964 to 1977 |
| Half built by | 1974 | 1968 |
| Seats | 4 | 4 |
| Most common engine | Lycoming O-320 | Lycoming O-320 |
| Typical cruise fuel burn | 8 gal/hr | 8 gal/hr |
| Engine overhaul intervalThe engine maker's published hours between overhauls. | 2,000 hr | 2,000 hr |
| Current airframe ADs | 34 | 59 |
| Airframe ADs with a repeat action | 3 | 3 |
| Current ADs on the main engine | 24 | 24 |
| Service Difficulty ReportsSince the year shown in each guide; per 1,000 registered today. | 59 (16.7 per 1,000) | 30 (7.2 per 1,000) |
| Most-reported system | Magneto/Distributor | Reciprocating Engine Cylinder Section |
| Accidents since 2008Per 1,000 registered today, not per hour flown: a training fleet flies far more than a private one. | 179 (50.7 per 1,000) | 202 (48.6 per 1,000) |
| Fatal accidents since 2008 | 26 | 41 |
| Most common accident | Loss of control on ground | Loss of engine power (partial) |
Report and accident counts are not rates: nobody publishes the hours each model flies, and a training fleet flies far more than a private one. Fuel burn is a typical cruise figure; the engine interval is its maker's published figure for the usual engine.
The Cessna 172M's repeat-action ADs
- 2011-10-09Requires retaining all of the actions from the previous AD and adding steps to the inspection procedures in the previous AD
- 2011-06-02Requires installing a full authority digital engine control (FADEC) backup battery, replacing the supplement pilot's operating handbook and FAA approved airplane flight manual, and replacing the FADEC backup battery...
- 97-12-06Requires checking the clearance between both the gascolator and cowling area and the tailpipe and cowling area, and modifying these areas immediately if any evidence of rubbing at either location is found or...
The Piper PA-28-140's repeat-action ADs
- 2017-14-04Engine oil
- 2013-02-13Requires inspections of the stabilator control system and replacement of parts as necessary
- 2010-26-04Requires installing a full authority digital engine control (FADEC) backup battery, replacing the supplement pilot's operating handbook and FAA approved airplane flight manual, and revising the limitations section of...
Questions
- Which has more Airworthiness Directives, the Cessna 172M or the Piper PA-28-140?
- 34 current ADs name the Cessna 172M airframe and 59 the Piper PA-28-140; 3 and 3 of them have a repeat action.
- Which is newer, the Cessna 172M or the Piper PA-28-140?
- Half of the Cessna 172Ms registered were built by 1974, half of the Piper PA-28-140s by 1968.
- How do the Cessna 172M and Piper PA-28-140 accident records compare?
- 179 accidents since 2008 for the Cessna 172M (26 fatal) against 202 for the Piper PA-28-140 (41 fatal), from fleets of 3,533 and 4,154. Counts, not rates per hour flown.