Piper PA-28-181

Aircraft Manufacturer: Piper

Model: PA-28-181

About the Piper PA-28-181

The Piper PA-28-181 Archer is a four-seat, single-engine light aircraft built by Piper Aircraft for flight training and personal use. The Archer holds the fourth-largest active fleet among Piper's registered models, with more than 2,500 still on the U.S. civil registry.

About two-thirds of every Archer ever entered on the U.S. registry remains registered today.

Over its FAA-registration exposure, the Archer records about 3.5 accidents per 1,000 aircraft-years, a rate higher than about half of comparable types in the same engine and seat class. The type's 175 recorded accidents include 22 that were fatal.

A single airworthiness directive stands against the Archer, issued June 6, 2024, and it is the only one ever filed against the PA-28-181.

Aircraft Details

Aircraft Details
Manufacturer Piper
Manufacturer Serial Number 7102807
Model PA-28-181
Category Land
Aircraft Type Fixed wing single engine
Cruise Speed 105 MPH / 91 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
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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).


113 exact, 61 recovered, 1 provisional

Methodology
175
Recorded GA Accidents

Total recorded general-aviation accidents within the analyzed period.


22 fatal accidents.

12.6% of recorded accidents were fatal.

3,549
Currently Registered

Active aircraft fleet size contributing to the exposure data.


49,769 (± 1,640)

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
2.3%
Exposure
2.5%
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 175
Accidents by year Accidents by year (total 175 observed): 2008 8, 2009 8, 2010 11, 2011 7, 2012 8, 2013 7, 2014 10, 2015 9, 2016 8, 2017 8, 2018 14, 2019 8, 2020 4, 2021 9, 2022 6, 2023 18, 2024 14, 2025 13, 2026 5. 6 12 18 24 0 8 '08 8 '09 11 '10 7 '11 8 '12 7 '13 10 '14 9 '15 8 '16 8 '17 14 '18 8 '19 4 '20 9 '21 6 '22 20 '23 16 '24 15 '25 15 '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.

11 categories Total 174
Landing 49
Enroute 26
Takeoff 25
Approach 24
Taxi 20
Initial climb 15
Maneuvering 9
Prior to flight 2
Standing 2
Emergency descent 1
Unknown 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 489
Personnel issues 198
Aircraft 168
Environmental issues 116
Not determined 5
Organizational issues 2
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 175
None 129
Fatal 22
Minor 14
Serious 10

Operating-rule mix (all parts): 091 (175)· NUSN (6)· 135 (2)· 129 (1)

Recorded Accidents

All 175 recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents for this model, most recent first.

Date Location Tail Damage Highest injury Phase of flight Finding categories
San Manual, AZ N4144P Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Manassas, VA N8129M Substantial None Standing Aircraft
Mesquite, TX N787TF Substantial None Landing Aircraft
San Diego, CA N41757 Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Eaton Rapids, MI N3553M Substantial None Initial climb Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Washington, IN N1961J Substantial None Landing Environmental issues, Personnel issues, Aircraft
Buxton, ND N820ND Destroyed Fatal Enroute Personnel issues
Wheeler Heights, GA N263MG Substantial None Approach Environmental issues
Chandler, AZ N2868H Minor Fatal Approach Aircraft, Personnel issues
Gypsum, CO N46MD Substantial None Takeoff Aircraft, Personnel issues
Jeffersonville, IN N728A Substantial None Landing Aircraft
Faribault, MN N7114C Substantial None Takeoff Aircraft, Environmental issues, Personnel issues
Schaumburg, IL N21175 Substantial None Initial climb Environmental issues, Aircraft, Personnel issues
Fort Pierce, FL N885AC Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
St. Petersburg, FL N82746 Substantial None Maneuvering Aircraft
McMinnville, TN N4166Z Substantial Fatal Initial climb Aircraft, Personnel issues
Upland, CA N79MS Substantial None Taxi Aircraft
Greenwood, SC N6958J Substantial None Taxi Aircraft, Personnel issues
Beverly, MA N656ST Substantial Minor Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Chandler, AZ N924PA Substantial None Taxi Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Dayton, OH N8078X Substantial None Enroute Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Marana, AZ N4403Z Substantial None Prior to flight Aircraft, Environmental issues
Colorado Springs, CO N8384E Substantial None Taxi Aircraft, Personnel issues
Gaithersburg, MD N38657 Substantial None Taxi Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Wickenburg, AZ N425PA Substantial Minor Approach Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues

Page 3 of 7 (showing accidents 51–75 of 175).

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.