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
Oakland, MD N348TF Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Great Barrington, MA N30062 Substantial Serious Approach Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Umpire, AR N6076H Substantial Fatal Uncontrolled descent Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Block Island, RI N47661 Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Palo Alto, CA N2865M Substantial Minor Approach Aircraft, Personnel issues
Phoenix, AZ N428PA Substantial None Takeoff Aircraft, Personnel issues
Phoenix, AZ N293PA Substantial Fatal Maneuvering Environmental issues, Personnel issues
Great Barrington, MA N8428H Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Apple Valley, CA N29285 Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Mineola, TX N3148Q Substantial Serious Approach Aircraft, Personnel issues
Oliver Springs, TN N7906W Substantial Fatal Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Glendale, AZ N424PA Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Mesa, AZ N4177L Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Metaline Falls, WA N2903A Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Caldwell, NJ N811SA Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Dingman, PA N4130W Substantial None Enroute Personnel issues, Aircraft
Firebaugh, CA N1857H Substantial None Enroute Personnel issues, Aircraft
Lufkin, TX N764C Substantial None Prior to flight Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Monticello, UT N2190X Substantial Fatal Maneuvering Aircraft
Mesa, AZ N4144P Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Dixon, IL N2108N Substantial None Approach Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Naperville, IL N2245M Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Reserve, NM N6260J Destroyed Serious Initial climb Environmental issues, Personnel issues, Aircraft
Bremerton, WA N2823L Substantial None Taxi Aircraft, Environmental issues
Phoenix, AZ N416PA Substantial None Landing Environmental issues, Aircraft, Personnel issues

Page 7 of 7 (showing accidents 151–175 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.