Ownership guide
Piper PA-24-260
581 registered in the US, built from about 1964 to 1972, 4 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
- 581
- Built
- 1964 to 1972
- Half built by
- 1966
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Lycoming TIO-540
Engines installed
- Lycoming TIO-540473 aircraft (81%) · 32 ADs, 5 with a repeat action
- Lycoming IO-54059 aircraft (10%) · 33 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
- Lycoming O-54030 aircraft (5%) · 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-24-260 airframe, 2 with a repeat action. Its engines carry 88 more. 12 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 Controlling System1
- Elevator Control System1
- Main Landing Gear1
Parts reported most
- Control cable, broken1
- Stabilator, unknown1
- Cable assy, frozen1
The latest reports
2026-03-20 · Propeller Controlling System · Control cable, broken
Aircraft aborted takeoff due to low power. upon inspection found propellor governor cable broken. maintenance replaced the prop control cable and prop control cable rod end.
2023-08-14 · Elevator Control System · Stabilator, unknown
On tuesday august 8th at approximately 2:45 pst n503ja took off from kful on runway 24. approx. 8 min into the flight the aircraft was leveled off and traveling at approx. 150kts. the pilot reported the at that approx. 8 min mark after taking off the aircraft began to ocellate/porpoise up and down violently. the yoke moved in and out so violently that he could hardly hold on to the yoke. in fact t
2021-01-29 · Main Landing Gear · Cable assy, frozen
01/11/2021 at 0800 the operator departed brandywine airport (oqn) on a vfr flight. after takeoff when operator attempted to retract the landing gear, it traveled about 3/4 the way up and the landing gear motor circuit breaker popped. pilot in command (pic) leveled off and cycled the landing gear motor several times unsuccessfully. pic disconnected the landing gear motor and tried the manual gea
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 2009, 9 fatal (24 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 5 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Landing gear not configured6
- Loss of control in flight5
- Loss of control on ground2
- Landing gear collapse2
- Fuel starvation2
- Collision during takeoff/land1
Phase of flight
- Landing15
- Enroute6
- Takeoff3
- Initial climb3
- Approach3
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-26 | Seldovia, AK | Landing: Collision during takeoff/land | Fatal | ANC26FA091 |
| 2026-08-05 | Albuquerque, NM | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | WPR26LA292 |
| 2026-03-14 | Athens, GA | Landing: Landing gear not configured | None | ERA26LA150 |
| 2025-06-29 | West yellowstone, MT | Landing: Landing gear collapse | None | WPR25LA301 |
| 2025-06-24 | Ashland, WI | Landing: Landing gear not configured | None | CEN25LA220 |
| 2023-12-12 | Anthony, KS | Landing: Abnormal runway contact | Serious | CEN24LA060 |
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 (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 controlling system and for broken control cables: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 12 equipment ADs name the PA-24-260 (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-24-260s are registered in the US?
- 581, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Piper PA-24-260 built?
- From about 1964 to 1972. Half of those registered today were built by 1966.
- What engine does the Piper PA-24-260 have?
- Most have the Lycoming TIO-540 (81% of those registered); others have the Lycoming IO-540, Lycoming O-540.
- What are common problems with the Piper PA-24-260?
- In 3 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were propeller controlling system, elevator control system, main landing gear, and the part most often reported was a broken control cable.
- How many accidents has the Piper PA-24-260 had?
- 31 in the NTSB's database since 2009, 9 of them fatal. The most common defining event was landing gear not configured. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Piper PA-24-260 have?
- 42 current ADs name the PA-24-260 airframe, 2 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.