How many Piper PA-44-180s are registered in the US?

537, in the FAA aircraft registry.

When was the Piper PA-44-180 built?

From about 1978 to 2026. Half of those registered today were built by 2008.

What engine does the Piper PA-44-180 have?

Most have the Lycoming O-360 (63% of those registered); others have the Lycoming IO-360.

What are common problems with the Piper PA-44-180?

In 213 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were reciprocating engine cylinder section, fuselage main, bulkhead, wing, rib/bulkhead, and the part most often reported was a cracked rib.

How many accidents has the Piper PA-44-180 had?

41 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 9 of them fatal. The most common defining event was landing gear not configured. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.

How many Airworthiness Directives does the Piper PA-44-180 have?

20 current ADs name the PA-44-180 airframe, 2 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.

Ownership guide

Piper PA-44-180 Seminole

537 registered in the US, built from about 1978 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: 537
Built: 1978 to 2026
Half built by: 2008
Seats: 4
Engine type: Piston
Most common engine: Lycoming O-360

Engines installed

Lycoming O-360339 aircraft (63%) · 24 ADs, 3 with a repeat action
Lycoming IO-360166 aircraft (31%) · 29 ADs, 4 with a repeat action

From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.

Airworthiness Directives

20 current ADs name the PA-44-180 airframe, 2 with a repeat action; 1 more were superseded. Its engines carry 53 more. 10 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-44-180

What gets reported

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

Systems reported most

Reciprocating Engine Cylinder Section23
Fuselage Main, Bulkhead14
Wing, Rib/Bulkhead12
Magneto/Distributor10
Propeller Hub Section10
Hydraulic System, Main10

Parts reported most

Rib, cracked11
Doubler, cracked10
Stop, stripped10
Pushrod, worn8
Bracket, cracked7
Cylinder, cracked7

The latest reports

2026-10-13 · Landing Gear Position and Warning · Squat switch, defective
The left landing gear squat switch was found to be defective/inoperative resulting in a safety concern. if someone were to accidentally select gear up while on the ground, the gear would retract. the function of the switch is to prevent this from happening. there was nothing physically wrong with the switch from visual inspection and it was rigged correctly.
2026-10-12 · Landing Gear Retraction/Extension System · Safety valve, leaking
Landing gear emergency free-fall valve found to be leaking internally, gear will not hold pressure and continues to drop from retracted position.
2026-10-12 · Landing Gear Position and Warning · Downlock switch, defective
Left landing gear down lock switch intermittent failure. the left gear downlock switch was found to be intermittent when slight pressure was applied to the wire harness at base of switch. a landing gear unsafe indication was reported on the left gear 09/23/2026, a mechanic was unable to duplicate the issue but did adjusted the switch rigging. on 10/03/2026 the same issue happened in flight resulti
2026-09-29 · Air Distribution Fan · Motor, overheated
Vent motor found inoperative, with evidence of overheating.

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

41 accidents since 2008, 9 fatal (20 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 3 aircraft destroyed.

What happened

Landing gear not configured9
Loss of control in flight6
Landing gear collapse6
System or component failure (not the engine)3
Birdstrike2
Midair collision2

Phase of flight

Landing19
Approach7
Enroute6
Initial climb4
Maneuvering2

The latest

Date	Where	What happened	Injuries	NTSB number
2025-11-26	Eastman, GA	Landing: Landing gear not configured	None	ERA26LA057
2025-07-15	Melbourne, AR	Landing: Landing gear not configured	None	CEN25LA253
2025-05-10	Saint james, MN	Landing: System or component failure (not the engine)	None	CEN25LA174
2025-01-10	Pompano beach, FL	Approach: System or component failure (not the engine)	None	ERA25LA096
2024-09-20	Shakopee, MN	Approach: Fuel related	Serious	CEN24LA360
2024-03-30	Fort pierce north, FL	Approach: Loss of engine power (partial)	Fatal	ERA24FA157

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

Filled in for a Piper PA-44-180 with the Lycoming O-360: 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 (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 reciprocating engine cylinder section and for cracked ribs: they are what gets reported most on this model.
10 equipment ADs name the PA-44-180 (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-44 family

Piper PA-44-180T · 38

Questions

How many Piper PA-44-180s are registered in the US?: 537, in the FAA aircraft registry.
When was the Piper PA-44-180 built?: From about 1978 to 2026. Half of those registered today were built by 2008.
What engine does the Piper PA-44-180 have?: Most have the Lycoming O-360 (63% of those registered); others have the Lycoming IO-360.
What are common problems with the Piper PA-44-180?: In 213 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were reciprocating engine cylinder section, fuselage main, bulkhead, wing, rib/bulkhead, and the part most often reported was a cracked rib.
How many accidents has the Piper PA-44-180 had?: 41 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 9 of them fatal. The most common defining event was landing gear not configured. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
How many Airworthiness Directives does the Piper PA-44-180 have?: 20 current ADs name the PA-44-180 airframe, 2 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.