Ownership guide
Piper PA-24 Comanche
341 registered in the US, built from about 1957 to 1965, 4 seats, most with the Lycoming O-360. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 341
- Built
- 1957 to 1965
- Half built by
- 1960
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Lycoming O-360
Engines installed
- Lycoming O-360316 aircraft (93%) · 24 ADs, 3 with a repeat action
- Lycoming O-54014 aircraft (4%) · 23 ADs, 3 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
42 current ADs name the PA-24 airframe, 2 with a repeat action. Its engines carry 47 more. 14 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.
- 2012-17-06Requires replacement of the stabilator horn assembly and/or repetitive inspections of the stabilator horn assembly for corrosion or cracks, as applicableFlight controls · AirplaneRepeat actionSep 17, 2012
- 97-01-01 R1The New Piper Aircraft, Inc. PA-24, PA- 28R, PA-30, PA-32R, PA-34, and PA-39 Series AirplanesAirplaneSupersedes 97-01-01Repeat actionOct 29, 1998
What gets reported
3 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Propeller Assembly1
- Fuselage, Seat/Cargo Attach Fittings1
- Engine Mount Section1
Parts reported most
- Propeller, departed1
- None, corroded1
- Mount, corroded1
The latest reports
2022-09-20 · Fuselage, Seat/Cargo Attach Fittings · None, corroded
Floor seat rail at lbl9 between fs 485.00 and 571.00 is corroded.
2020-03-11 · Propeller Assembly · Propeller, departed
After the runup and takeoff checklist complete, i accelerated to almost rotation speed when i heard a loud bang. i immediately retarded the throttle to idle and brought the airplane to a controlled stop adjacent to, but off the runway. the airplane never left the ground. there was smoke (oil) in the cockpit so i turned everything, including the fuel, off and exited the airplane. it was only the
2019-04-15 · Engine Mount Section · Mount, corroded
Internal corrosion of the engine mount assembly p/n 20796-00.
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
24 accidents since 2008, 4 fatal (7 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 1 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of engine power (partial)3
- Landing gear not configured3
- Fuel exhaustion3
- Loss of engine power (total)2
- Loss of control on ground2
- Landing gear collapse1
Phase of flight
- Landing10
- Enroute4
- Takeoff3
- Approach3
- Initial climb2
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-15 | Medford, OR | Landing: Landing gear collapse | None | WPR26LA279 |
| 2025-05-26 | Reykjavik, OF | Enroute: Loss of engine power (total) | None | GAA25WA173 |
| 2024-01-31 | Eufaula, AL | Emergency descent: Fuel starvation | Fatal | ERA24FA102 |
| 2024-01-17 | Hugo, OK | Landing: System or component failure (not the engine) | None | CEN24LA091 |
| 2022-06-25 | New shoreham, RI | Landing: Landing area overshoot | None | ERA22LA306 |
| 2022-04-25 | Honesdale, PA | Taxi: Miscellaneous/other | None | ERA22LA208 |
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-24 with the Lycoming O-360: 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 (2 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 propeller assembly and for departed propellers: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 14 equipment ADs name the PA-24 (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-24 family
Questions
- How many Piper PA-24s are registered in the US?
- 341, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Piper PA-24 built?
- From about 1957 to 1965. Half of those registered today were built by 1960.
- What engine does the Piper PA-24 have?
- Most have the Lycoming O-360 (93% of those registered); others have the Lycoming O-540.
- What are common problems with the Piper PA-24?
- In 3 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were propeller assembly, fuselage, seat/cargo attach fittings, engine mount section, and the part most often reported was a departed propeller.
- How many accidents has the Piper PA-24 had?
- 24 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 4 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of engine power (partial). These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Piper PA-24 have?
- 42 current ADs name the PA-24 airframe, 2 of them with a repeat action, and 47 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.