How many Piper PA-30s are registered in the US?

859, in the FAA aircraft registry.

When was the Piper PA-30 built?

From about 1963 to 1969. Half of those registered today were built by 1966.

What engine does the Piper PA-30 have?

Most have the Lycoming IO-320 (94% of those registered); others have the Lycoming O-320.

What are common problems with the Piper PA-30?

In 12 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were landing gear retraction/extension system, main landing gear attach section, global positioning system, and the part most often reported was a cracked trunnion.

How many accidents has the Piper PA-30 had?

93 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 26 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-30 have?

32 current ADs name the PA-30 airframe, 2 of them with a repeat action, and 44 more name its engines. Whether each applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number and installed equipment.

Ownership guide

Piper PA-30

859 registered in the US, built from about 1963 to 1969, 6 seats, most with the Lycoming IO-320. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.

The fleet

Registered in the US: 859
Built: 1963 to 1969
Half built by: 1966
Seats: 6
Engine type: Piston
Most common engine: Lycoming IO-320

Engines installed

Lycoming IO-320805 aircraft (94%) · 20 ADs, 2 with a repeat action
Lycoming O-32019 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

32 current ADs name the PA-30 airframe, 2 with a repeat action; 1 more were superseded. Its engines carry 44 more. 15 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.

Every AD for the Piper PA-30

What gets reported

12 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.

Systems reported most

Landing Gear Retraction/Extension System2
Main Landing Gear Attach Section2
Global Positioning System1
Fuselage Structure (General)1
Heating System1
Main Landing Gear Strut/Axle/Truck1

Parts reported most

Trunnion, cracked2
Receiver, malfunctioned1
Bearing, mismanufactured1
None, malfunctioned1
Shutoff valve, leaking1
Strut, cracked1

The latest reports

2025-06-30 · Magneto/Distributor · Impulse coupling, destroyed
Pilot report of hearing a bang at startup. while bringing the plane to the maintenance shop across the airfield, the pilot heard a loud grinding noise coming from the lh engine, he then shut the engine down. it was discovered during visual inspection that the rh magneto on the lh engine had the impulse coupling fail. the rivets holding the pawls had become loose and then departed the magneto, tr
2022-07-05 · Fuselage Structure (General) · None, malfunctioned
The magnetic timing housing magnetic sensor failed during flight causing complete loss of left engine electronic ignition. initially, engine roughness was noted before complete failure. electronic ignition was turned off but would not come back on line. flight continued to home base on slick magneto without incident. magnetic sensor was replaced and problem resolved. sensor electrical failure was
2020-11-11 · Landing Gear Retraction/Extension System · Push-pull rod, broken
During an instruction flight with the owner and instructor the landing gear was selected down while on approach to sna. when the gear was selected down they did not extend all the way and got a warning indication in the cockpit they did emergency procedures to try and get the gear down but nothing worked. a pass by the tower concurred they were partially extended. the plane landed gear up and c
2020-06-05 · Main Landing Gear Strut/Axle/Truck · Strut, cracked
Left main strut cracked at the aft web at the hole drilled for the squat switch bracketry attachment to the strut. there was fluid and nitrogen (air) leakage through the crack.

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

93 accidents since 2008, 26 fatal (43 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 14 aircraft destroyed.

What happened

Loss of control in flight13
Landing gear collapse11
Loss of control on ground10
Landing gear not configured7
Loss of engine power (total)6
Fuel contamination6

Phase of flight

Landing29
Enroute17
Approach13
Initial climb13
Takeoff11

The latest

Date	Where	What happened	Injuries	NTSB number
2026-07-09	Tulsa, OK	Approach: Loss of engine power (partial)	Serious	CEN26LA248
2026-06-15	Zero, MS	Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)	None	CEN26LA225
2026-04-26	Enterprise, AL	Approach: Fuel starvation	None	ERA26LA190
2026-02-24	Big bear, CA	Landing: Landing gear collapse	None	WPR26LA107
2025-12-17	West chicago, IL	Unknown: Loss of control in flight	Fatal	CEN26FA064
2025-10-06	Gila bend, AZ	Landing: Loss of control on ground	None	WPR26LA007

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

Hours flown a yearhr/yrFuel burngal/hrTypical cruise; your POH and how you fly decide it.Fuel price$/galEngine overhaul$A quote from an engine shop.Hours to overhaulhrThe engine maker's published time between overhauls.Maintenance reserve$/hrEverything else that wears: tires, brakes, avionics, the unexpected.

Per year, flown or not

Insurance$/yrHangar or tiedown$/yrAnnual inspection$/yrLoan payments$/yrEverything else$/yrSubscriptions, database updates, the property tax some states charge.

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 landing gear retraction/extension system and for cracked trunnions: they are what gets reported most on this model.
15 equipment ADs name the PA-30 (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.

Questions

How many Piper PA-30s are registered in the US?: 859, in the FAA aircraft registry.
When was the Piper PA-30 built?: From about 1963 to 1969. Half of those registered today were built by 1966.
What engine does the Piper PA-30 have?: Most have the Lycoming IO-320 (94% of those registered); others have the Lycoming O-320.
What are common problems with the Piper PA-30?: In 12 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were landing gear retraction/extension system, main landing gear attach section, global positioning system, and the part most often reported was a cracked trunnion.
How many accidents has the Piper PA-30 had?: 93 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 26 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-30 have?: 32 current ADs name the PA-30 airframe, 2 of them with a repeat action, and 44 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.