Aircraft model
PIPER PA-24-260
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
The Comanche 260, the fuel-injected 260 hp development introduced in 1965 with a higher gross weight and, in later years, a wider cabin and six seats. It cruises at about 165 knots on 14 gallons an hour and carries a real load, making it one of the most efficient piston singles ever certified in terms of speed and payload per gallon. It is a serious cross-country aeroplane.
The warnings are the same as for the 250 and they are the main reason these aircraft are cheap for what they do. Piper ended production in 1972 and factory parts support has largely gone; the type depends on an active owners' association, a handful of specialist suppliers and mechanics who know it. A gear or control system part that would be a routine order for a Cessna can become a months-long search. Airworthiness directives on the stabilator system and fuel cells need verifying. Insurance requires complex and high-performance endorsements plus retractable time, and will cost more than for an equivalent Bonanza because the type is less familiar to underwriters. Bought with eyes open, it is an outstanding travelling aeroplane.
Compare with…
Put PIPER PA-24-260 side by side with up to two other models.
- PIPER PA-24-260
What it is
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | tricycle |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Lycoming IO-540-D4A5 |
| Horsepower | 260 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 |
| Production start | 1965 |
| Production end | 1972 |
| Endorsements required | complex;high-performance |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 165 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 800 nm |
| Service ceiling | 20,000 ft |
| Climb rate | 1,320 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 53 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | 1,650 ft |
| Landing over 50 ft | 1,400 ft |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 1,327 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 967 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 3,100 lb |
| Empty weight | 1,773 lb |
| Usable fuel | 60 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 14.6 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $75,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $165,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 2,000 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $46,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $66,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 946 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 590 |
| Median year built | 1966.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 23 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 5 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 38.981 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 32.22 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 112 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 18.983 |
| Airworthiness directives | 8 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | ok |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 590 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 590 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: per 100 active aircraft · base 590 active.
Peer scores6
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 3-4 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | 5.1 of 101 |
| Severity | 2.8 of 102 |
| Access | 2.3 of 103 |
| Support | 8.1 of 104 |
| Liquidity | 3.9 of 105 |
| Overall (sum of the categories shown) | 22.2 out of 506 |
- Accident record: class median 32.28 · 202 models in class.
- Severity: class median 12.5.
- Access: class median 775.
- Support: class median 147.5.
- Liquidity: class median 19.9.
- 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.