Compare
Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP vs Piper PA-28-181 Archer
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 172S Skyhawk SP, Piper PA-28-181 Archer.
Where they differ
- The Cessna 172S fleet is younger: half of those registered were built by 2009, against 1986 for the Piper PA-28-181.
- Most Cessna 172Ss have the Lycoming IO-360; most Piper PA-28-181s the Lycoming O-360.
- The Piper PA-28-181 burns more fuel in a typical cruise: about 9.5 gallons an hour against 9.
- The Cessna 172S carries more airframe ADs with a repeat action, 5 against 3: inspections that come back for as long as the AD applies.
- Mechanics report the Cessna 172S's reciprocating engine cylinder section most, and the Piper PA-28-181's fuselage miscellaneous structure.
Side by side
| Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP | Piper PA-28-181 Archer | |
|---|---|---|
| Registered in the US | 3,069 | 3,425 |
| Built | 1998 to 2026 | 1975 to 2026 |
| Half built by | 2009 | 1986 |
| Seats | 4 | 4 |
| Most common engine | Lycoming IO-360 | Lycoming O-360 |
| Typical cruise fuel burn | 9 gal/hr | 9.5 gal/hr |
| Engine overhaul intervalThe engine maker's published hours between overhauls. | 2,000 hr | 2,000 hr |
| Current airframe ADs | 39 | 59 |
| Airframe ADs with a repeat action | 5 | 3 |
| Current ADs on the main engine | 29 | 24 |
| Service Difficulty ReportsSince the year shown in each guide; per 1,000 registered today. | 383 (124.8 per 1,000) | 790 (230.7 per 1,000) |
| Most-reported system | Reciprocating Engine Cylinder Section | Fuselage Miscellaneous Structure |
| Accidents since 2008Per 1,000 registered today, not per hour flown: a training fleet flies far more than a private one. | 255 (83.1 per 1,000) | 130 (38.0 per 1,000) |
| Fatal accidents since 2008 | 32 | 19 |
| Most common accident | Hard landing | Loss of control on ground |
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 172S's repeat-action ADs
- 2013-11-11Requires replacement when the engine oil pressure switch reaches its life limit
- 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...
- 2001-06-17Requires a one-time inspection for proper engine idle speed and fuel control mixture setting and adjustment, as necessary
- 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-28-181'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 172S or the Piper PA-28-181?
- 39 current ADs name the Cessna 172S airframe and 59 the Piper PA-28-181; 5 and 3 of them have a repeat action.
- Which is newer, the Cessna 172S or the Piper PA-28-181?
- Half of the Cessna 172Ss registered were built by 2009, half of the Piper PA-28-181s by 1986.
- How do the Cessna 172S and Piper PA-28-181 accident records compare?
- 255 accidents since 2008 for the Cessna 172S (32 fatal) against 130 for the Piper PA-28-181 (19 fatal), from fleets of 3,069 and 3,425. Counts, not rates per hour flown.