Piper PA-24-250

Aircraft Manufacturer: Piper

Model: PA-24-250

About the Piper PA-24-250

The Piper PA-24-250 holds the 9th-largest active fleet in Piper's lineup, and more than 1,000 aircraft remain on the U.S. civil registry. The PA-24-250 accounts for about 3% of Piper's total active registered fleet.

About half of all U.S. registry records ever held for the PA-24-250 have been deregistered.

Within its cohort of same type, engine class, and seat range, the PA-24-250 records a higher accident rate than about 60% of comparable types, where a higher percentile means a higher accident rate. The rate works out to about 4 accidents per 1,000 aircraft-years over the type's own FAA-registration exposure. Of the 109 recorded accidents behind that figure, 28 were fatal.

Aircraft Details

Aircraft Details
Manufacturer Piper
Manufacturer Serial Number 7102404
Model PA-24-250
Category Land
Aircraft Type Fixed wing single engine
Cruise Speed 135 MPH / 117 knots
Weight Class 1 (Up to 12,499 lbs gross take off weight)
Engine Type Reciprocating
Number of Engines 1 engine
Number of Seats 4 seats
Piper PA-24-250 Photo: Alan Radecki Akradecki — cc-by-sa-4.0 via Wikimedia Commons Have a personal photo of the Piper PA-24-250? Contact us.

Safety Analysis

Composition of NTSB accident records for this model in general-aviation operations (FAR Part 91 and 137), based on NTSB data as of May 1, 2026. It's a breakdown of recorded accidents rather than a safety rating, and types with significant non-GA operation (such as Part 135) may be under-represented.

99%
Identity Confirmed

Accidents are identity-confirmed against FAA registration records (two independent sources).


75 exact, 33 recovered, 1 provisional

Methodology
109
Recorded GA Accidents

Total recorded general-aviation accidents within the analyzed period.


28 fatal accidents.

25.7% of recorded accidents were fatal.

1,222
Currently Registered

Active aircraft fleet size contributing to the exposure data.


25,860

Aircraft-years of FAA registration exposure (2008–present).


Comparison

Within its peer cohort

Within this model's peer class (same aircraft type, engine class, and seat range), comparison of its share of recorded NTSB accidents to its share of FAA registration exposure (aircraft-years since 2008).

This is a share comparison, not flight-hours adjusted, so a model flown more per airframe than its peers will show an accident share above its exposure share even if its per-hour safety is average. Methodology →

Model class Share of cohort
Accidents
1.5%
Exposure
1.3%
Time series

Accidents by year

Recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents per calendar year, derived directly from the NTSB accident database. Each bar shows the accidents that occurred in that year. Methodology →

Investigations take 12–36 months to finalise, so the trailing years come in incomplete. Recent years are adjusted upward for that lag. Observed counts show as solid bars, the lag-adjusted estimate shows hatched.

2008 – 2026 Total 109
Accidents by year Accidents by year (total 109 observed): 2008 4, 2009 5, 2010 4, 2011 9, 2012 8, 2013 6, 2014 9, 2015 5, 2016 6, 2017 1, 2018 10, 2019 7, 2020 4, 2021 4, 2022 8, 2023 5, 2024 7, 2025 5, 2026 2. 3 6 9 12 0 4 '08 5 '09 4 '10 9 '11 8 '12 6 '13 9 '14 5 '15 6 '16 1 '17 10 '18 7 '19 4 '20 4 '21 8 '22 5 '23 8 '24 6 '25 6 '26
Composition

Phase of flight

Which phase of flight each accident occurred in, as coded by the NTSB. Most accidents happen in the phases where most flying time is concentrated, so this isn't a measure of which phase is most dangerous.

7 categories Total 109
Landing 32
Enroute 27
Approach 22
Initial climb 15
Maneuvering 7
Takeoff 5
Standing 1
Causes

Finding category

Top-level NTSB cause category, from the coded investigation findings. An accident often has more than one finding, so totals here can exceed the recorded accident count.

NTSB top-level codes Total 312
Personnel issues 132
Aircraft 122
Environmental issues 44
Not determined 14
Outcomes

Injury severity

NTSB classification of the worst injury in each accident: None, Minor, Serious, or Fatal. Each accident counts in exactly one severity.

Highest per accident Total 109
None 56
Fatal 28
Minor 17
Serious 8

Operating-rule mix (all parts): 091 (109)· NUSN (2)· UNK (1)

Recorded Accidents

All 109 recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents for this model, most recent first.

Date Location Tail Damage Highest injury Phase of flight Finding categories
Woodstock, CT N7333P Substantial Minor Enroute Personnel issues, Aircraft
Hesperia, CA N7720P Substantial None Approach Aircraft, Personnel issues
McKinney, TX N6195P Substantial None Enroute Aircraft, Not determined
Phillipsburg, OH N5269P Substantial None Standing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Mc Allen, TX N8053P Substantial None Initial climb Environmental issues, Aircraft
Lake Tahoe, CA N7950P Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Colorado Springs, CO N6661P Substantial None Enroute Personnel issues, Environmental issues, Aircraft
Milner, CO N7774P Substantial Fatal Enroute Personnel issues, Aircraft
Truckee, CA N8218P Substantial Fatal Initial climb Aircraft, Personnel issues
Blacksburg, VA N6248P Substantial None Approach Aircraft, Personnel issues
Shawnee, OK N7171P Substantial None Prior to flight Aircraft, Personnel issues
Albany, TX N7147P Substantial Fatal Enroute Aircraft, Personnel issues
Camas, WA N6297P Substantial Fatal Maneuvering Aircraft, Personnel issues
Sidney, NY N7365P Substantial Serious Prior to flight Personnel issues
Lopez, WA N5532P Substantial None Enroute Aircraft, Environmental issues
Westbrook, CT N8233P Substantial Fatal Enroute Aircraft, Personnel issues
Astoria, OR N511FS Substantial Fatal Enroute Personnel issues, Aircraft
Sedona, AZ N7792P Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Environmental issues, Personnel issues
New Hampton, NY N7757P Substantial Fatal Enroute Personnel issues
Huntsville, TX N8023P Substantial None Maneuvering Personnel issues, Aircraft
Aurora, OR N3TP Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Centerville, MO N5798P Substantial None Enroute Environmental issues, Personnel issues
Redmond, OR N6967P Substantial Fatal Initial climb Aircraft, Personnel issues
Madison, IN N5425P Destroyed Fatal Maneuvering Aircraft, Personnel issues
West Chicago, IL N7748P Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues

Page 4 of 5 (showing accidents 76–100 of 109).

Data presented on this website is sourced directly from official Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records. To ensure accuracy, we try not to correct issues such as improper punctuation, spelling errors, empty fields, or unusual labels like "SALE REPORTED" for a registrant. We make every effort to present information as it appears in the FAA database. This website is not affiliated with any government agency.