Ownership guide
Piper PA-23-250
883 registered in the US, built from about 1960 to 1981, 6 seats, most with the Lycoming TIO-540. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 883
- Built
- 1960 to 1981
- Half built by
- 1971
- Seats
- 6
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Lycoming TIO-540
Engines installed
- Lycoming TIO-540514 aircraft (58%) · 32 ADs, 5 with a repeat action
- Lycoming IO-540203 aircraft (23%) · 33 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
- Lycoming O-540108 aircraft (12%) · 23 ADs, 3 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
62 current ADs name the PA-23-250 airframe, 4 with a repeat action; 3 more were superseded. Its engines carry 88 more. 11 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.
- 2021-25-11Requires the actions in the revised service informationHorizontal stabilizer structure · AirplaneSupersedes 78-02-03Repeat actionDec 21, 2021
- 2017-15-05Air conditioningAirplaneSupersedes 69-13-03Repeat actionJul 24, 2017
- 2009-13-06 R1Piper Aircraft, Inc. AirplanesAirplaneSupersedes 2009-13-06Repeat actionSep 29, 2011
- 2003-09-13Repetitively inspect the flap control torque tube for cracks, corrosion, wear, or elongation of the attachment bolt holes (referred to as damage); and requires you to replace any damaged torque tube with either an...the New Piper Aircraft, Inc. Models PA-23, PA-23-160, PA-23-235, PA-23-250, and PA-E23-250 Airplanes · AirplaneRepeat actionMay 9, 2003
What gets reported
19 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Landing Gear Actuator3
- Wheel/Ski/Float2
- Main Landing Gear2
- Stabilizer Control System2
- Landing Gear Brake System2
- Nose/Tail Landing Gear1
Parts reported most
- Actuator, cracked2
- Brake disc, cracked2
- Wheel, cracked1
- Torque link, separated1
- Screw, loose1
- Drag link, corroded1
The latest reports
2026-07-15 · Instrument Panel · Dimmer, abnormal
Upon entering the downwind for landing the green lights indicating gear down were dark. the pilot recycled the gear several times but the results were the same. lights were off, gear handle returned to neutral, and nose gear appeared down in the mirror. i made a low approach and tower said they appeared down. pilot decided to return to departure airport and notified the tower there of the unsafe g
2024-03-20 · Standard Practices/Structures · None, pilot error
On december 18, 2023, the subject aircraft was on an aerial photography mission lasting five hours. the pilot calculated the aircraft fuel endurance predicated on the panel mounted fuel gages. according to the pilot's calculations, sufficient fuel was added to the tanks to complete a flight with vfr reserves, a total of six hours. at five hours and ten minutes into the flight, both engines lost
2022-10-05 · Landing Gear Brake System · Brake disc, cracked
This single event mdr includes two instances of the same part failure. during a routine inspection of an adjacent component, the left brake rotor (sn: m0067916) was found to be cracked through ~ 40% - 50% of the rotor thickness. the crack originated on the outer diameter of the braking surface and continued toward the center of the disc in a radial direction. its length was estimated to be ~ 50%
2022-10-05 · Landing Gear Brake System · Brake disc, cracked
During a routine inspection of an adjacent component, the left brake rotor was found to be cracked through 100% of the rotor thickness. the crack originated on the outer diameter of the braking surface and continued toward the center of the disc in a radial direction. its length was estimated to be 90% of the braking surface.
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
31 accidents since 2008, 15 fatal (41 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 5 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Fuel exhaustion5
- Landing gear collapse3
- Loss of engine power (total)3
- Loss of control in flight3
- Loss of engine power (partial)2
- Flight control sys failure2
Phase of flight
- Enroute11
- Landing6
- Approach5
- Initial climb3
- Takeoff2
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-23 | Clewiston, FL | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | ERA26LA053 |
| 2025-10-17 | Condon, MT | Enroute: Loss of engine power (partial) | Fatal | WPR26LA020 |
| 2024-11-15 | Freeport, OF | Approach: Fuel exhaustion | Serious | GAA25WA027 |
| 2024-09-12 | Nassau, OF | Approach: Fuel exhaustion | Fatal | GAA24WA285 |
| 2023-12-18 | Forney, TX | Approach: Fuel exhaustion | Minor | CEN24LA068 |
| 2023-07-04 | The valley | Landing: Landing gear collapse | GAA23WA195 |
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
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 (4 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 landing gear actuator and for cracked actuators: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 11 equipment ADs name the PA-23-250 (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-23 family
Questions
- How many Piper PA-23-250s are registered in the US?
- 883, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Piper PA-23-250 built?
- From about 1960 to 1981. Half of those registered today were built by 1971.
- What engine does the Piper PA-23-250 have?
- Most have the Lycoming TIO-540 (58% of those registered); others have the Lycoming IO-540, Lycoming O-540.
- What are common problems with the Piper PA-23-250?
- In 19 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were landing gear actuator, wheel/ski/float, main landing gear, and the part most often reported was a cracked actuator.
- How many accidents has the Piper PA-23-250 had?
- 31 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 15 of them fatal. The most common defining event was fuel exhaustion. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Piper PA-23-250 have?
- 62 current ADs name the PA-23-250 airframe, 4 of them with a repeat action, and 88 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.