Ownership guide
Piper PA-28-181 Archer
3,425 registered in the US, built from about 1975 to 2026, 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
- 3,425
- Built
- 1975 to 2026
- Half built by
- 1986
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Lycoming O-360
Engines installed
- Lycoming O-3602,201 aircraft (64%) · 24 ADs, 3 with a repeat action
- Lycoming IO-360954 aircraft (28%) · 29 ADs, 4 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59 current ADs name the PA-28-181 airframe, 3 with a repeat action; 3 more were superseded. Its engines carry 53 more. 17 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
790 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Fuselage Miscellaneous Structure149
- Wing, Plate/Skin126
- Wing Miscellaneous Structure115
- Fuselage Main, Longeron/Stringer59
- Wing, Longeron/Stringer55
- Fuselage Main, Attach Fittings38
Parts reported most
- Stiffener, cracked256
- Skin, cracked109
- Bracket, cracked100
- Support bracket, cracked31
- Stringer, cracked26
- Channel, cracked25
The latest reports
2026-09-18 · DC Generating System · Power cable, broken
The ring terminal on the output terminal of the alternator breaks off, after breaking the two parts of the ring terminal make intermittent contact; this intermittent contact makes the alternator fail switch (that is mounted inside the cockpit) overheat and shoot out sparks and smoke, this continues until the aux terminal inline fuse blows. an emergency was declared, aircraft landed without incide
2026-09-04 · Wing Miscellaneous Structure · Stiffener, cracked
R/h wing fwd lwr i/b skin, fwd stiffener cracked. replaced with new
2026-09-04 · Wing Miscellaneous Structure · Stiffener, cracked
R/h wing fwd lwr i/b skin, aft stiffener cracked. replaced with new
2026-08-27 · Wing, Plate/Skin · Skin, cracked
Right wing fwd wing walk skin cracked on corrugated skin. replaced wing walk skin assy with new.
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
130 accidents since 2008, 19 fatal (40 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 8 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of control on ground21
- Loss of control in flight9
- Loss of engine power (total)9
- Fuel exhaustion9
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT)7
- Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT)7
Phase of flight
- Landing36
- Enroute24
- Approach20
- Takeoff16
- Initial climb13
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-26 | Mason, MI | Landing: Landing gear collapse | None | CEN26LA329 |
| 2026-09-06 | Ludlow, MA | Enroute: Loss of control in flight | Fatal | ERA26FA329 |
| 2026-08-14 | Altoona, PA | Approach: Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) | None | ERA26LA307 |
| 2026-06-21 | Bowie, MD | Enroute: Fuel related | Fatal | ERA26FA243 |
| 2026-04-19 | Indiantown, FL | Enroute: Loss of engine power (total) | None | ERA26LA180 |
| 2026-04-01 | Philadelphia, PA | Approach: Loss of engine power (total) | Serious | ERA26LA156 |
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-28-181 with the Lycoming O-360: a typical cruise fuel burn and 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 fuselage miscellaneous structure and for cracked stiffeners: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 17 equipment ADs name the PA-28-181 (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-28-181s are registered in the US?
- 3,425, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Piper PA-28-181 built?
- From about 1975 to 2026. Half of those registered today were built by 1986.
- What engine does the Piper PA-28-181 have?
- Most have the Lycoming O-360 (64% of those registered); others have the Lycoming IO-360.
- What are common problems with the Piper PA-28-181?
- In 790 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were fuselage miscellaneous structure, wing, plate/skin, wing miscellaneous structure, and the part most often reported was a cracked stiffener.
- How many accidents has the Piper PA-28-181 had?
- 130 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 19 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-28-181 have?
- 59 current ADs name the PA-28-181 airframe, 3 of them with a repeat action, and 53 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.