Aircraft model
PIPER PA-28-161
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
The Warrior II, produced from 1977 and the low-wing equivalent of the Cessna 172 in almost every respect — same role, same power, same market. It is a primary trainer first and a light four-seat tourer second, and it is one of the two aeroplanes most American pilots learn in. The tapered wing gives it a gentle stall and reasonable short-field manners, and it is stable enough to make instrument training straightforward. The engine and airframe did not change over the run, but the weight limit did: the Warrior II was certified at 2,325 lb, and from July 1982 the gross weight rose to 2,440 lb, which is 115 lb more cabin load on exactly the same aeroplane — a 1980 Warrior and a 1984 Warrior look identical and are not. The Warrior III of 1995 brought an updated panel and systems but no change in power or weight. Piper dropped 'Cherokee' from the name for 1979, so a Cherokee Warrior II and a Warrior II are the same aeroplane.
What a buyer gets is a cheap, well-supported, entirely predictable aeroplane with no vices and no surprises. What they give up is performance: 117 knots, and with full 48-gallon tanks about 690 lb of cabin load, which is three adults with light bags or two with real luggage. It has one door. The rear seat is not a place to spend three hours. As with every PA-28, the wing spar airworthiness directive must be verified, especially on a high-hour training aircraft, and this is now a meaningful factor in the value of individual airframes. Insurance is as easy and cheap as it gets for a four-seater.
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- PIPER PA-28-161
What it is
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | tricycle |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Lycoming O-320-D3G |
| Horsepower | 160 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 |
| Production start | 1977 |
| Production end | current |
| Endorsements required | — |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 117 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 600 nm |
| Service ceiling | 13,000 ft |
| Climb rate | 710 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 44 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | 1,490 ft |
| Landing over 50 ft | 1,115 ft |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 977 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 689 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 2,325 lb |
| Empty weight | 1,348 lb |
| Usable fuel | 48 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 9 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $50,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $300,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 2,000 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $28,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $40,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 3,170 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 1,496 |
| Median year built | 1979.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 67 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 11 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 44.791 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 17.382 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 258 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 17.253 |
| Airworthiness directives | 12 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | ok |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 1,496 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 1,496 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: per 100 active aircraft · base 1,496 active.
Peer scores6
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 3-4 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | 9.2 of 101 |
| Severity | 4 of 102 |
| Access | 9.3 of 103 |
| Support | 10 of 104 |
| Liquidity | 2.6 of 105 |
| Overall (sum of the categories shown) | 35.1 out of 506 |
These record scores treat PIPER PA-28-161 as one design with the same aircraft registered under other names: it includes 29 aircraft registered under PIPER AIRCRAFT INC; includes 15 aircraft registered under NEW PIPER. Prices are not combined.
- 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.