Ownership guide
Piper PA-34-220T Seneca
246 registered in the US, built from about 1981 to 2014, 7 seats, most with the Continental TSIO-360. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 246
- Built
- 1981 to 2014
- Half built by
- 1983
- Seats
- 7
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental TSIO-360
Engines installed
- Continental TSIO-360220 aircraft (89%) · 22 ADs, 1 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
35 current ADs name the PA-34-220T airframe, 5 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded. Its engines carry 22 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.
- 2022-09-13Requires establishing a life limit for these boltsNose/tail landing gear · AirplaneRepeat actionApr 26, 2022
- 2013-02-13Requires inspections of the stabilator control system and replacement of parts as necessaryStabilizer control system · AirplaneRepeat actionFeb 4, 2013
- 2005-13-16Replace unserviceable partsThe New Piper Aircraft, Inc. PA-34 Series Airplanes · AirplaneSupersedes 93-24-14Repeat actionJun 22, 2005
- 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
- 94-13-11Piper Aircraft Inc. AirplanesAirplaneRepeat actionJun 27, 1994
What gets reported
15 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Flight Control System2
- Landing Gear Position and Warning1
- Propeller Controlling System1
- Heating System1
- Tire1
- Trailing Edge Flaps1
Parts reported most
- Pump, inoperative2
- Torque tube, out of position1
- Warning light, inoperative1
- Control cable, out of adjust1
- Tire, failed1
- Skin, cracked1
The latest reports
2024-03-15 · Tire · Tire, failed
Pilot reported on landing that he felt the aircraft yawing to the right and realized he had a flat tire. airport used a set of dollies to move the aircraft back to wings of hope ramp area. both main tires and tubes were replaced with new. wheel was disassembled and inspected for defects none found. inspected tire for puncture or defects. found no definitive answer as to cause.
2023-04-25 · Main Landing Gear Strut/Axle/Truck · Fork, cracked
During annual inspection, crackes were found in the upper 2 bolt holes of the fork on the mlg strut assemblies. lt and rt mlg. cracks may be stress placed on the lower fork at the axle attach point during landing.
2023-04-15 · Fasteners · Bolt, mismanufactured
Bolt, piper p/n 402-921 quantity of 8 were ordered from boeing, 4 of the 8 did not have the hole drilled through the threads for the cotter pin. piper tags on bolts dated: 01/07/2022. line lot/batch:7365740436 on the invoice from boeing.
2022-12-05 · Magneto/Distributor · Magneto, failed
Misfire from engine in flight, and 200+ rpm drop on magneto check after landing approximately 120 hours smoh on engine, tsio-360-rb2 continental. normal magneto drop is 75 rpm, so outside of tolerance. magnetos were overhauled by qaa in oklahoma at the time of engine overhaul. mechanic tested ignition system including wires and plugs, then removed and disassembled magneto for inspection. found coi
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
21 accidents since 2010, 6 fatal (9 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 3 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Hard landing4
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT)3
- Loss of control in flight2
- Loss of engine power (partial)2
- Landing gear not configured1
- System or component failure (not the engine)1
Phase of flight
- Landing6
- Enroute6
- Approach4
- Takeoff2
- Initial climb1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-13 | Corpus christi, TX | Landing: Landing gear not configured | None | CEN26LA188 |
| 2026-04-24 | Kissimmee, FL | Landing: System or component failure (not the engine) | None | ERA26LA189 |
| 2025-02-03 | Braunschweig | Unknown: Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) | Fatal | GAA25WA082 |
| 2024-08-05 | Minden, NV | Takeoff: Abnormal runway contact | None | WPR24LA268 |
| 2024-07-24 | Roy, UT | Approach: Collision during takeoff/land | Serious | WPR24LA254 |
| 2023-05-29 | Sã£o pedro da ãgua branca,, OF | Enroute: Off-field or emergency landing | None | GAA23WA160 |
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 (5 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 flight control system and for inoperative pumps: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 12 equipment ADs name the PA-34-220T (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-34 family
Questions
- How many Piper PA-34-220Ts are registered in the US?
- 246, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Piper PA-34-220T built?
- From about 1981 to 2014. Half of those registered today were built by 1983.
- What engine does the Piper PA-34-220T have?
- Most have the Continental TSIO-360 (89% of those registered).
- What are common problems with the Piper PA-34-220T?
- In 15 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were flight control system, landing gear position and warning, propeller controlling system, and the part most often reported was a inoperative pump.
- How many accidents has the Piper PA-34-220T had?
- 21 in the NTSB's database since 2010, 6 of them fatal. The most common defining event was hard landing. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Piper PA-34-220T have?
- 35 current ADs name the PA-34-220T airframe, 5 of them with a repeat action, and 22 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.