Ownership guide
Piper PA-28R-180 Arrow
527 registered in the US, built from about 1967 to 1970, 4 seats, most with the Lycoming IO-360. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 527
- Built
- 1967 to 1970
- Half built by
- 1968
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Lycoming IO-360
Engines installed
- Lycoming IO-360513 aircraft (97%) · 29 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
36 current ADs name the PA-28R-180 airframe, 3 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded. Its engines carry 29 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.
- 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
- 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
9 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Fuselage Structure (General)4
- Autopilot System2
- Electrical Power System1
- Landing Gear Retraction/Extension System1
- Navigation System1
Parts reported most
- Battery, failed3
- Servo, failed3
- Regulator, malfunctioned1
- Solenoid, failed1
- None, none1
The latest reports
2021-10-30 · Fuselage Structure (General) · Servo, failed
Garmin gsa28 pitch trim servo failed after approximately eighteen months / 68 hours in service. flight instrumentation displayed "servo hardware fault" and red "ptrim" flag during flight, and electric pitch trim became inoperative. the servo displayed a "red" status light indicating failure.
2021-10-29 · Fuselage Structure (General) · Battery, failed
Garmin g5 flight instrument backup battery failed after approximately four months / 16 hours in service. flight instrumentation displayed "1%" battery charge status after not having used the instrument on backup power. battery would not charge above 1%. "battery fault" indication would intermittently appear.
2021-08-21 · Fuselage Structure (General) · None, none
A crack like indication was found on left main swivel pin. the idication was 1/2" long in the area of interest. crack was found with fluorescent magnetic particle testing. inspection was done per astm e1444 as requested by client. ad 97-01-01 r1 piper
2021-08-09 · Fuselage Structure (General) · Battery, failed
Garmin g5 flight instrument backup battery failed after approximately two months / 8 hours in service. flight instrumentation displayed "0%" battery charge status after not having used the instrument on backup power. battery would not charge above 0%. no "battery fault" indication present.
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
26 accidents since 2008, 8 fatal (19 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 3 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of control in flight4
- Loss of control on ground3
- Landing gear not configured2
- Aerodynamic stall/spin2
- Loss of engine power (total)2
- Loss of engine power (partial)1
Phase of flight
- Takeoff6
- Landing5
- Initial climb4
- Enroute4
- Maneuvering4
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-13 | Readington township, NJ | Landing: Landing gear not configured | None | ERA26LA308 |
| 2024-07-27 | Ft. atkinson, WI | Landing: Landing gear not configured | None | CEN24LA288 |
| 2022-09-14 | Broomfield, CO | Initial climb: Loss of engine power (partial) | None | CEN22LA421 |
| 2022-08-29 | Bennington, VT | Approach: Aerodynamic stall/spin | Minor | ERA22LA393 |
| 2022-05-19 | Beach city, TX | Takeoff: Loss of control on ground | Minor | CEN22LA206 |
| 2021-06-14 | Corpus christi, TX | Takeoff: Loss of control on ground | Minor | CEN21LA269 |
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 (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 structure (general) and for failed batterys: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 12 equipment ADs name the PA-28R-180 (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-28R family
Questions
- How many Piper PA-28R-180s are registered in the US?
- 527, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Piper PA-28R-180 built?
- From about 1967 to 1970. Half of those registered today were built by 1968.
- What engine does the Piper PA-28R-180 have?
- Most have the Lycoming IO-360 (97% of those registered).
- What are common problems with the Piper PA-28R-180?
- In 9 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were fuselage structure (general), autopilot system, electrical power system, and the part most often reported was a failed battery.
- How many accidents has the Piper PA-28R-180 had?
- 26 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 8 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of control in flight. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Piper PA-28R-180 have?
- 36 current ADs name the PA-28R-180 airframe, 3 of them with a repeat action, and 29 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.