Ownership guide
Piper PA-18 Super Cub
527 registered in the US, built from about 1949 to 1971, 2 seats, most with the Continental C90. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 527
- Built
- 1949 to 1971
- Half built by
- 1953
- Seats
- 2
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental C90
Engines installed
- Continental C90166 aircraft (31%) · 5 ADs, 0 with a repeat action
- Lycoming O-290119 aircraft (23%) · 5 ADs, 1 with a repeat action
- Lycoming O-320112 aircraft (21%) · 24 ADs, 3 with a repeat action
- Lycoming O-23589 aircraft (17%) · 10 ADs, 1 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
14 current ADs name the PA-18 airframe, 0 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded. Its engines carry 44 more. 11 equipment ADs name the model.
No current airframe AD mentions a repeat action.
What gets reported
4 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Aircraft Fuel Filter/Strainer1
- Main Landing Gear Strut/Axle/Truck1
- Reciprocating Engine Power Section1
- Engine Oil Cooler1
Parts reported most
- Fuel bowl, damaged1
- Strut, fractured1
- Piston ring, out of alignment1
- Oil cooler, cracked1
The latest reports
2026-03-03 · Main Landing Gear Strut/Axle/Truck · Strut, fractured
Piper pa-18 experienced right hand landing gear collapse after landing rollout causing damage to main landing gear and right wing assembly. detail inspection found 2 each fractures on right hand landing gear assembly. right shock strut hydrasorb (pn 487 558) fracture at shock cord mounting lug; detailed inspection of fracture area is limited by installed shock cord and crack was undetected until f
2022-07-20 · Engine Oil Cooler · Oil cooler, cracked
Original oil cooler replaced 05/27/2022 due to cracked mounting flanges. new cooler, s/n 4467 , failed after 12 hours in service, cracked adjacent to top fitting boss, resulting in 5+ quart oil loss during flight, and emergency landing. installed replacement cooler, s/n 4469, and ops/leak checked ok. this cooler also cracked in same location after approx. 7 hours in service, resulting in 2+ qt.
2017-08-10 · Aircraft Fuel Filter/Strainer · Fuel bowl, damaged
The fuel strainer cover develops a bow after a year of continuous pressure being put on it from the wire assembly causing it to leak fuel. it has been found that replacing the gasket does not correct this problem. over the past few years we have found three of these same assemblies leaking because of this bowing of the fuel strainer cover. we feel that the cover should be replaced.
2016-10-12 · Reciprocating Engine Power Section · Piston ring, out of alignment
During take off, with glider in tow, aircraft experienced an uncommanded engine shut down. investigation revealed that the nr 3 piston rings were not installed properly.
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
83 accidents since 2008, 7 fatal (8 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 2 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of control on ground25
- Nose over/nose down10
- Loss of control in flight5
- Collision during takeoff/land5
- Loss of engine power (partial)4
- Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT)3
Phase of flight
- Landing37
- Takeoff19
- Initial climb7
- Approach5
- Maneuvering5
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-29 | Beluga, AK | Landing: Nose over/nose down | None | ANC26LA093 |
| 2026-07-18 | Colusa, CA | Approach: Fuel exhaustion | Serious | WPR26LA268 |
| 2026-06-23 | Chena, AK | Landing: Nose over/nose down | None | ANC26LA064 |
| 2026-06-18 | Petersville, AK | Maneuvering: Low altitude operation/event | None | ANC26LA055 |
| 2026-03-03 | Waialua, HI | Landing: Landing gear collapse | None | ANC26LA017 |
| 2025-10-17 | Paris, ID | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | WPR26LA024 |
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 Piper PA-18 with the Continental C90: 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, 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 aircraft fuel filter/strainer and for damaged fuel bowls: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 11 equipment ADs name the PA-18 (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.
The rest of the PA-18 family
Questions
- How many Piper PA-18s are registered in the US?
- 527, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Piper PA-18 built?
- From about 1949 to 1971. Half of those registered today were built by 1953.
- What engine does the Piper PA-18 have?
- Most have the Continental C90 (31% of those registered); others have the Lycoming O-290, Lycoming O-320, Lycoming O-235.
- What are common problems with the Piper PA-18?
- In 4 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were aircraft fuel filter/strainer, main landing gear strut/axle/truck, reciprocating engine power section, and the part most often reported was a damaged fuel bowl.
- How many accidents has the Piper PA-18 had?
- 83 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 7 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 Piper PA-18 have?
- 14 current ADs name the PA-18 airframe, 0 of them with a repeat action, and 44 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.