Ownership guide
Piper PA-32-260 Cherokee Six
636 registered in the US, built from about 1965 to 1977, 6 seats, most with the Lycoming O-540. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 636
- Built
- 1965 to 1977
- Half built by
- 1966
- Seats
- 6
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Lycoming O-540
Engines installed
- Lycoming O-540615 aircraft (97%) · 23 ADs, 3 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-32-260 airframe, 2 with a repeat action. Its engines carry 23 more. 14 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.
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
- Magneto/Distributor2
- DC Generator-Alternator1
Parts reported most
- Alternator, failed1
- Magneto, failed1
- Points, bent1
The latest reports
2025-03-01 · Magneto/Distributor · Magneto, failed
Run up engine went down when testing.
2023-04-28 · DC Generator-Alternator · Alternator, failed
Enroute, close to destination the pilot had a negative rate of charge and was on battery power alone due to alternator failure.
2020-02-25 · Magneto/Distributor · Points, bent
Slightly less than 500 hours ago (august 2016), the airplane was appropriately modified with the installation of a slick start system which included the installation of slick magneto m/n 6393, s/n 07052122/e-08075 in the left magneto position. upon receiving the airplane for the purpose of annual inspection in december 2019, the owner reported that the slick start was not functioning and that he h
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
49 accidents since 2008, 17 fatal (43 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 7 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of engine power (total)6
- Loss of engine power (partial)6
- Fuel starvation4
- Loss of control on ground4
- VFR encounter with IMC3
- Loss of control in flight3
Phase of flight
- Enroute18
- Landing10
- Initial climb6
- Takeoff4
- Approach4
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-06 | Pinetown, NC | Enroute: Loss of engine power (total) | Minor | ANC26LA080 |
| 2026-03-25 | Block island, RI | Landing: Powerplant sys/comp failure | Minor | ERA26LA151 |
| 2025-12-24 | Rio linda, CA | Takeoff: Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT) | Fatal | WPR26FA069 |
| 2025-04-13 | Green valley, AZ | Enroute: Fuel starvation | None | WPR25LA131 |
| 2024-08-14 | Chetek, WI | Landing: Hard landing | Minor | CEN24LA322 |
| 2024-03-10 | Madras, OR | Enroute: VFR encounter with IMC | Fatal | WPR24FA105 |
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 magneto/distributor and for failed alternators: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 14 equipment ADs name the PA-32-260 (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-32 family
Questions
- How many Piper PA-32-260s are registered in the US?
- 636, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Piper PA-32-260 built?
- From about 1965 to 1977. Half of those registered today were built by 1966.
- What engine does the Piper PA-32-260 have?
- Most have the Lycoming O-540 (97% of those registered).
- What are common problems with the Piper PA-32-260?
- In 3 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were magneto/distributor, dc generator-alternator, and the part most often reported was a failed alternator.
- How many accidents has the Piper PA-32-260 had?
- 49 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 17 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-32-260 have?
- 36 current ADs name the PA-32-260 airframe, 2 of them with a repeat action, and 23 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.