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- Commander (Aero Commander / Rockwell) 500-B
- Cessna 402
- Cessna 414A
- Piper PA-31-325
Comparison
4 models side by side: scroll sideways to see them all. The attribute names stay on the left.
| Commander (Aero Commander / Rockwell) 500-B | Cessna 402 | Cessna 414A | Piper PA-31-325 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | ||||
| Seats | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| Landing gear | tricycle | tricycle | tricycle | tricycle |
| Engines | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Engine | Lycoming IO-540-B1A5 | Continental TSIO-520-E (turbocharged) | Continental TSIO-520-NB (turbocharged) | Lycoming TIO-540-F2BD (turbocharged, counter-rotating) |
| Horsepower | 290 hp | 300 hp | 310 hp | 325 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL | 100LL | 100LL | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 | CAR3 | CAR3 | FAR23 |
| Production start | 1960 | 1967 | 1978 | 1975 |
| Production end | 1967 | 1969 | 1985 | 1984 |
| Endorsements required | complex;high-performance;multi-engine | complex;high-performance;multi-engine | complex;high-performance;multi-engine;pressurized/high-altitude | complex;high-performance;multi-engine |
| Performance | ||||
| Cruise speed | 190 KTAS | 209 KTAS | 200 KTAS | 210 KTAS |
| Range | 900 nm | 833 nm | 1,300 nm | 1,100 nm |
| Service ceiling | 19,400 ft | 26,180 ft | 30,800 ft | 26,300 ft |
| Climb rate | 1,400 ft/min | 1,610 ft/min | 1,580 ft/min | 1,445 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 66 KCAS | 69 KCAS | 75 KCAS | 66 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | 1,900 ft | 2,220 ft | 2,265 ft | 2,000 ft |
| Landing over 50 ft | 1,800 ft | 1,765 ft | 2,400 ft | 2,000 ft |
| Load and fuel | ||||
| Seats | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| Useful load | 2,450 lb | 2,581 lb | 2,382 lb | 2,600 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 1,514 lb | 1,969 lb | 1,146 lb | 1,448 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 6,750 lb | 6,300 lb | 6,750 lb | 6,500 lb |
| Empty weight | 4,300 lb | 3,719 lb | 4,368 lb | 3,900 lb |
| Usable fuel | 156 gal | 102 gal | 206 gal | 192 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 32.5 gal/h | 34.8 gal/h | 36 gal/h | 37.7 gal/h |
| Cost of ownership | ||||
| Price, low | $150,000 | $100,000 | $250,000 | $180,000 |
| Price, high | $245,000 | $255,000 | $600,000 | $350,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 | 2026 | 2026 | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 2,000 h | 1,400 h | 1,400 h | 1,800 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $46,000 | $60,000 | $60,000 | $62,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $66,000 | $85,000 | $85,000 | $88,000 |
| The fleet and its record | ||||
| Registered, all time | 197 | 128 | 539 | 397 |
| Active fleet | 85 | 7 | 363 | 137 |
| Median year built | 1962.0 | 1967.5 | 1979.0 | 1978.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 5 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years1 | 58.82 · thin base (low) | — | 16.53 | 43.8 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active2 | 0 · thin base (low) | — | 13.77 | 14.6 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 16 | 0 | 111 | 38 |
| Transfers per 100 active3 | 18.82 · thin base (low) | — | 30.58 | 27.74 |
| Airworthiness directives | 9 | 10 | 17 | 15 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rate confidence | low | none | ok | ok |
| Peer scores | ||||
| Peer class | Fixed wing multi-engine, piston, 2 engines, 7+ seats | Fixed wing multi-engine, piston, 2 engines, 7+ seats | Fixed wing multi-engine, piston, 2 engines, 7+ seats | Fixed wing multi-engine, piston, 2 engines, 7+ seats |
| Accident record4 | 8.1 of 10 · scored on 21 years of events (fewer than 10 in the last 10) | — | 5 of 10 · scored on 21 years of events (fewer than 10 in the last 10) | — |
| Severity5 | 3.7 of 10 · scored on 21 years of events (fewer than 10 in the last 10) | — | 0.8 of 10 · scored on 21 years of events (fewer than 10 in the last 10) | — |
| Access6 | 3.3 of 10 | — | 1.3 of 10 | 4 of 10 |
| Support7 | 3.7 of 10 | 1.1 of 10 | 8.4 of 10 | 5.3 of 10 |
| Liquidity8 | 2.5 of 10 | — | 9.4 of 10 | 7.5 of 10 |
| Overall (sum of the categories shown)9 | 21.3 out of 50not comparable: partial score | — | 24.9 out of 50not comparable: partial score | Partial: 16.8 out of 30 (safety not scored, too few records)not comparable: partial score |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: Commander (Aero Commander / Rockwell) 500-B, per 1,000 active aircraft · base 85 active; Cessna 414A, per 1,000 active aircraft · base 363 active; Piper PA-31-325, per 1,000 active aircraft · base 137 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: Commander (Aero Commander / Rockwell) 500-B, per 1,000 active aircraft · base 85 active; Cessna 414A, per 1,000 active aircraft · base 363 active; Piper PA-31-325, per 1,000 active aircraft · base 137 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: Commander (Aero Commander / Rockwell) 500-B, per 100 active aircraft · base 85 active; Cessna 414A, per 100 active aircraft · base 363 active; Piper PA-31-325, per 100 active aircraft · base 137 active.
- Accident record: Commander (Aero Commander / Rockwell) 500-B, class median 15.87 · 17 models in class; Cessna 402, class median 15.87 · 17 models in class; Cessna 414A, class median 15.87 · 17 models in class; Piper PA-31-325, class median 15.87 · 17 models in class.
- Severity: Commander (Aero Commander / Rockwell) 500-B, class median 20.42; Cessna 402, class median 20.42; Cessna 414A, class median 20.42; Piper PA-31-325, class median 20.42.
- Access: Commander (Aero Commander / Rockwell) 500-B, class median 3,096.5; Cessna 402, class median 3,096.5; Cessna 414A, class median 3,096.5; Piper PA-31-325, class median 3,096.5.
- Support: Commander (Aero Commander / Rockwell) 500-B, class median 132.5; Cessna 402, class median 132.5; Cessna 414A, class median 132.5; Piper PA-31-325, class median 132.5.
- Liquidity: Commander (Aero Commander / Rockwell) 500-B, class median 23.08; Cessna 402, class median 23.08; Cessna 414A, class median 23.08; Piper PA-31-325, class median 23.08.
- Each of the five categories places the model within its peer class, from 0 (the worst of the class) to 10 (the best): a position among comparable models, not a grade. The overall score is the sum of the categories shown that are scored, out of 10 for each (50 when all five are); it is given only when at least 4 of the five are scored, and it can be set against another model's only when both are in the same peer class and scored on the same categories. When accident record and severity cannot be scored because the model has too few records, the other three give a partial score out of 30, labelled as such; it is never set against a full score.