Piper PA-32R-301

Aircraft Manufacturer: Piper

Model: PA-32R-301

About the Piper PA-32R-301

The Piper PA-32R-301 is a six-seat, single-engine, high-performance aircraft produced by Piper. More than 400 remain on the U.S. civil registry, making it Piper's 27th-largest active fleet.

About two-thirds of every PA-32R-301 ever entered on the U.S. registry are still registered. Over its FAA-registration exposure the type records roughly 2.8 accidents per 1,000 aircraft-years, and within a peer cohort of comparable type, engine class, and seat range, that places it at a lower accident rate than most comparable types. Of 24 recorded accidents, 7 were fatal.

Aircraft Details

Aircraft Details
Manufacturer Piper
Manufacturer Serial Number 7103218
Model PA-32R-301
Category Land
Aircraft Type Fixed wing single engine
Weight Class 1 (Up to 12,499 lbs gross take off weight)
Engine Type Reciprocating
Number of Engines 1 engine
Number of Seats 7 seats
Piper PA-32R-301 Photo: FlugKerl2 — cc-by-sa-3.0 via Wikimedia Commons Have a personal photo of the Piper PA-32R-301? 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).


16 exact, 8 recovered, 0 provisional

Methodology
24
Recorded GA Accidents

Total recorded general-aviation accidents within the analyzed period.


7 fatal accidents.

29.2% of recorded accidents were fatal.

462
Currently Registered

Active aircraft fleet size contributing to the exposure data.


8,619 (± 220)

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
9.0%
Exposure
13.4%
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 →

2008 – 2025 Total 24
Accidents by year Accidents by year (total 24 observed): 2008 1, 2010 2, 2011 2, 2012 1, 2013 2, 2015 2, 2016 1, 2017 2, 2018 2, 2021 2, 2022 3, 2023 1, 2024 2, 2025 1. 1 2 3 4 0 1 '08 2 '10 2 '11 1 '12 2 '13 2 '15 1 '16 2 '17 2 '18 2 '21 3 '22 1 '23 2 '24 1 '25
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 23
Enroute 10
Landing 4
Initial climb 3
Takeoff 2
Approach 2
Maneuvering 1
Uncontrolled descent 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 71
Personnel issues 30
Aircraft 24
Environmental issues 13
Not determined 3
Organizational issues 1
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 23
None 12
Fatal 7
Minor 2
Serious 2

Operating-rule mix (all parts): 091 (24)· NUSN (2)· 135 (1)· PUBU (1)

Recorded Accidents

All 24 recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents for this model, most recent first.

Date Location Tail Damage Highest injury Phase of flight Finding categories
Oxford, MS N318JM Substantial Serious Takeoff Aircraft, Personnel issues
Van, TX N81481 Substantial Minor Enroute Aircraft, Personnel issues
Knoxville, TN N9236J Substantial Fatal Enroute unknown
Dayton, VA N43156 Destroyed Fatal Enroute Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Olla, LA N416TS Substantial Minor Enroute Aircraft
Spencer, VA N8429X Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Loogootee, IN N4303P Substantial None Enroute Aircraft
Troy, AL N299HP Substantial None Landing Environmental issues
Sparta, MI N35718 Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Falcon, CO N2880W Substantial None Prior to flight Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Cape Carteret, NC N25WE Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
New Orleans, LA N43WW unknown unknown Approach Personnel issues
Friendly, MD N21HD Substantial Serious Initial climb Not determined
Alpine, TX N185DX Substantial None Initial climb Aircraft, Environmental issues, Personnel issues
Westminster, SC N782TM Destroyed Fatal Approach Personnel issues, Not determined, Environmental issues, Aircraft
Boulder City, NV N35590 Substantial None Enroute Not determined, Aircraft
Kirksville, MO N408DM Destroyed Fatal Approach Environmental issues, Personnel issues
Huntsville, AR N888TP Destroyed Fatal Enroute Personnel issues, Environmental issues, Aircraft
Fairbanks, AK N432LT Destroyed Fatal Enroute Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Louisville, KY N8319N Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Holdenville, OK N8310L Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Environmental issues, Aircraft
Chamblee, GA N9263R Substantial None Enroute Personnel issues, Aircraft
Washington, GA N220ST Substantial Fatal Enroute Organizational issues, Aircraft
Oxford, MS N532MJ Substantial None Prior to flight Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
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.