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Grumman American AA-5B Tiger 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: Grumman American AA-5B Tiger, Piper PA-28-181 Archer.

Where they differ

  • The Piper PA-28-181 fleet is younger: half of those registered were built by 1986, against 1977 for the Grumman American AA-5B.
  • There are more Piper PA-28-181s to choose from: 3,425 registered against 848.
  • The Piper PA-28-181 carries more airframe ADs with a repeat action, 3 against 0: inspections that come back for as long as the AD applies.

Side by side

Grumman American AA-5B TigerPiper PA-28-181 Archer
Registered in the US8483,425
Built1974 to 19791975 to 2026
Half built by19771986
Seats44
Most common engineLycoming O-360Lycoming O-360
Typical cruise fuel burnNot set9.5 gal/hr
Engine overhaul intervalThe engine maker's published hours between overhauls.2,000 hr2,000 hr
Current airframe ADs1059
Airframe ADs with a repeat action03
Current ADs on the main engine2424
Service Difficulty ReportsSince the year shown in each guide; per 1,000 registered today.0 (0.0 per 1,000)790 (230.7 per 1,000)
Most-reported systemNoneFuselage Miscellaneous Structure
Accidents since 2008Per 1,000 registered today, not per hour flown: a training fleet flies far more than a private one.26 (30.7 per 1,000)130 (38.0 per 1,000)
Fatal accidents since 2008419
Most common accidentRunway excursionLoss 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 Grumman American AA-5B's repeat-action ADs

No current airframe AD mentions a repeat action.

Every AD for the Grumman American AA-5B

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...
Every AD for the Piper PA-28-181

Questions

Which has more Airworthiness Directives, the Grumman American AA-5B or the Piper PA-28-181?
10 current ADs name the Grumman American AA-5B airframe and 59 the Piper PA-28-181; 0 and 3 of them have a repeat action.
Which is newer, the Grumman American AA-5B or the Piper PA-28-181?
Half of the Grumman American AA-5Bs registered were built by 1977, half of the Piper PA-28-181s by 1986.
How do the Grumman American AA-5B and Piper PA-28-181 accident records compare?
26 accidents since 2008 for the Grumman American AA-5B (4 fatal) against 130 for the Piper PA-28-181 (19 fatal), from fleets of 848 and 3,425. Counts, not rates per hour flown.

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