Piper PA-32-260

Aircraft Manufacturer: Piper

Model: PA-32-260

About the Piper PA-32-260

The Piper PA-32-260 holds the 16th-largest active fleet in Piper's lineup, with more than 600 aircraft on the U.S. civil registry. The model accounts for about 1% of Piper's active registered fleet. About half of all registry records ever held for the PA-32-260 have been deregistered.

The PA-32-260 records about 4.8 accidents per 1,000 aircraft-years over the type's FAA-registration exposure. Of the model's 66 recorded accidents, 15 were fatal.

Aircraft Details

Aircraft Details
Manufacturer Piper
Manufacturer Serial Number 7103206
Model PA-32-260
Category Land
Aircraft Type Fixed wing single engine
Cruise Speed 126 MPH / 109 knots
Weight Class 1 (Up to 12,499 lbs gross take off weight)
Engine Type Reciprocating
Number of Engines 1 engine
Number of Seats 6 seats
Piper PA-32-260 Photo: — — public-domain via Wikimedia Commons Have a personal photo of the Piper PA-32-260? 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.

100%
Identity Confirmed

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


40 exact, 26 recovered, 0 provisional

Methodology
66
Recorded GA Accidents

Total recorded general-aviation accidents within the analyzed period.


15 fatal accidents.

22.7% of recorded accidents were fatal.

650
Currently Registered

Active aircraft fleet size contributing to the exposure data.


13,911

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
3.8%
Exposure
3.6%
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 66
Accidents by year Accidents by year (total 66 observed): 2008 9, 2009 2, 2010 1, 2011 4, 2012 2, 2013 2, 2014 1, 2015 4, 2016 1, 2017 2, 2018 1, 2019 9, 2020 5, 2021 7, 2022 4, 2023 4, 2024 4, 2025 3, 2026 1. 3 6 9 12 0 9 '08 2 '09 1 '10 4 '11 2 '12 2 '13 1 '14 4 '15 1 '16 2 '17 1 '18 9 '19 5 '20 7 '21 4 '22 4 '23 4 '24 3 '25 3 '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.

10 categories Total 66
Enroute 21
Landing 14
Initial climb 12
Approach 7
Takeoff 5
Taxi 2
Maneuvering 2
Standing 1
Uncontrolled 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 171
Personnel issues 63
Aircraft 61
Environmental issues 41
Not determined 6
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 66
None 30
Fatal 15
Minor 14
Serious 7

Operating-rule mix (all parts): 091 (66)· 135 (4)· NUSN (4)· NUSC (1)· UNK (1)

Recorded Accidents

All 66 recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents for this model, most recent first.

Date Location Tail Damage Highest injury Phase of flight Finding categories
Block Island, RI N7081H Substantial Minor Landing unknown
Rio Linda, CA N2785Q Substantial Fatal Takeoff unknown
Marsh Harbor, OF N68BT Substantial None Enroute unknown
Green Valley, AZ N3797W Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Baltimore, MD N6FT Substantial None Initial climb unknown
Chetek, WI N3613W Substantial Minor Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Madras, OR N3264W Destroyed Fatal Enroute Environmental issues, Personnel issues
Tulsa, OK N3645W Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Millington, TN N7748J Substantial Minor Approach Personnel issues, Aircraft
Sebastian, FL N44588 Substantial Fatal Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Lincoln, IL N56793 Substantial Serious Approach Aircraft
Tok, AK N44782 Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Cordova, AK N3432W Substantial Fatal Enroute Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Broomfield, CO N85CT Substantial Fatal Initial climb Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Grantsville, MD N3618W Substantial Minor Enroute Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Fostoria, OH N3952W Destroyed Fatal Approach Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Hancock, MN N130GH Substantial Minor Enroute Aircraft, Personnel issues
Spartanburg, SC N3862W Substantial Serious Enroute Personnel issues, Aircraft
Madisonville, TX N3258W Substantial Fatal Approach Aircraft, Personnel issues
Lafayette, CO N3793W Substantial None Enroute Aircraft, Personnel issues
Flint, MI N3992W Substantial Minor Enroute Aircraft, Personnel issues
Burlington, VT N26DC Substantial None Taxi Aircraft
Los Angeles, CA N57014 Substantial Fatal Enroute Aircraft
Greenville, SC N5566J Substantial Serious Approach Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Atlanta, GA N3595W Substantial None Landing Aircraft

Page 1 of 3 (showing accidents 1–25 of 66).

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.