Ownership guide
Piper PA-28-160 Cherokee 160
246 registered in the US, built from about 1961 to 1966, 4 seats, most with the Lycoming O-320. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 246
- Built
- 1961 to 1966
- Half built by
- 1962
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Lycoming O-320
Engines installed
- Lycoming O-320237 aircraft (96%) · 24 ADs, 3 with a repeat action
- Lycoming O-3605 aircraft (2%) · 24 ADs, 3 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
59 current ADs name the PA-28-160 airframe, 3 with a repeat action; 3 more were superseded. Its engines carry 48 more. 13 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.
- 2017-14-04Engine oilAirplaneSupersedes 95-26-13Repeat actionJul 11, 2017
- 2013-02-13Requires inspections of the stabilator control system and replacement of parts as necessaryStabilizer control system · AirplaneRepeat actionFeb 4, 2013
- 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...Engine · AirplaneRepeat actionDec 28, 2010
What gets reported
1 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Engine Oil Cooler1
Parts reported most
- Oil cooler, cracked1
The latest reports
2016-01-13 · Engine Oil Cooler · Oil cooler, cracked
After departure, acft had smoke in the cockpit due to a split in the oil cooler which was getting oil on the muffler, causing smoke. replace part with new pma pn 800000075, sn 10427581.
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
11 accidents since 2008, 4 fatal (7 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 2 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of engine power (total)2
- Loss of control in flight2
- Loss of control on ground1
- Fire/smoke (non-impact)1
- Collision during takeoff/land1
- Miscellaneous/other1
Phase of flight
- Approach4
- Landing2
- Prior to flight1
- Maneuvering1
- Other1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-22 | Lanett, AL | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | ERA26LA185 |
| 2025-12-12 | Lake mavrovo, OF | Unknown: Loss of engine power (total) | Minor | GAA26WA049 |
| 2023-02-05 | Eau claire, WI | Prior to flight: Fire/smoke (non-impact) | None | CEN23LA099 |
| 2023-01-10 | Somerville, TN | Approach: Unknown or undetermined | None | ERA23LA111 |
| 2022-08-05 | White salmon, WA | Landing: Collision during takeoff/land | None | WPR22LA294 |
| 2016-05-29 | Corumbaiba | Maneuvering: Loss of control in flight | Fatal | ERA16WA207 |
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-28-160 with the Lycoming O-320: 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 (3 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 engine oil cooler and for cracked oil coolers: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 13 equipment ADs name the PA-28-160 (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-28 family
Questions
- How many Piper PA-28-160s are registered in the US?
- 246, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Piper PA-28-160 built?
- From about 1961 to 1966. Half of those registered today were built by 1962.
- What engine does the Piper PA-28-160 have?
- Most have the Lycoming O-320 (96% of those registered); others have the Lycoming O-360.
- What are common problems with the Piper PA-28-160?
- In 1 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were engine oil cooler, and the part most often reported was a cracked oil cooler.
- How many accidents has the Piper PA-28-160 had?
- 11 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 4 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of engine power (total). These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Piper PA-28-160 have?
- 59 current ADs name the PA-28-160 airframe, 3 of them with a repeat action, and 48 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.