Engines · piston (reciprocating) · data as of October 5, 2026

Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5

1,037 aircraft on the U.S. register carry a Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 engine, rated at about 260 horsepower. The Robinson R44 is the model most often fitted with it (1,037 aircraft). The aircraft carrying it were built between 2003 and 2026.

The FAA records engines by code, usually at the level of a series ("O-320 series") rather than the exact variant; this page gathers every FAA code that reads as Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5. FAA spelling: IO-540-AE1A5.

Fitted to model families

Robinson R441,037

Robinson R44

Where they are owner's state

Texas160Delaware95Alaska73Florida68California67Montana44Oklahoma27Illinois26Arizona26Utah23

Kind of aircraft

Helicopters1,037 (100%)

When the aircraft were built by decade

What the FAA has certified, ordered and been told about the Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 the component layer

The design is held under 1 type certificate (1E4, held by Lycoming Engines). The FAA has issued 21 airworthiness directives (orders that owners must comply with) that name this engine series. Operators and repair shops have filed 924 failure reports with the FAA since 1995, 249 of them in the last ten years.

FAA orders 21 airworthiness directives · newest first

2026-09-142026-17-10 · Reciprocating Engine Cylinder Section · engine

2026-04-082026-04-11 · Engine (Reciprocating) · engine

2024-12-052024-21-02 · Engine (Reciprocating) · engine

2017-08-152017-16-11 · Reciprocating Engine Power Section · engine

2015-11-032015-19-07 · Fuel injector fuel lines · engine

2012-10-242012-19-01 · Crankshafts · engine

All orders naming the Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5

Failure reports 924 since · what operators and shops told the FAA

Parts most often reported as the reports name them

Pump115Tachometer62Servo55Starter51Magneto42Starter Gen40Bearing32Controller24Reservoir24Actuator22

Latest reports

2026-06-22Pump: inoperative

2025-12-05Cylinder: scored

2024-03-01Boot: cracked

2023-10-19Warning Unit: defective

2023-10-17Muffler: distorted

Certificates and bulletins

1E4Type certificate held by Lycoming Engines · 81 models listed · revised February 28, 2018

Safety bulletins 6 · advice, not orders

2019-05-02NE-19-08 · Reciprocating Engine Cylinder Section - Lycoming Engines Parallel Valve Cylinders

2016-05-13NE-08-32R1 · Propeller Governor Idler Gear Shaft Set Screw

2014-03-24NE-14-13 · Reciprocating Engine - Cylinder Mounting Studs

2012-11-21NE-13-06 · Pushrod Shroud Spring Retainers, Engine Components Part No. AEL14995, for Lycoming Engines 320,...

2008-09-10NE-06-32R1 · Reciprocating Engine - Crankshaft

Sources: the FAA's type certificate data sheets, airworthiness directives, supplemental type certificates, special conditions and special airworthiness information bulletins (Dynamic Regulatory System), and the FAA's service difficulty reports. A failure report is what an operator or repair station chose to file; the counts show reporting as much as reliability, and larger and commercial fleets report more. How the systems are grouped.

Connections how this engine series links to the rest of the register

Fitted to

Robinson R44 1,037 with this engine series

Where they are

Texas 160 of these aircraft
Delaware 95 of these aircraft
Alaska 73 of these aircraft
Florida 68 of these aircraft
California 67 of these aircraft

Biggest operators

Spitzer Helicopter LLC 17 of these aircraft
Southern Utah University 15 of these aircraft
Sky Helicopters INC 12 of these aircraft
Aircraft Guaranty CORP Trustee 11 of these aircraft
Sky Solutions LLC 9 of these aircraft

Airworthiness

FAA orders naming the Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 21 airworthiness directives
Failure reports on the Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 924 reports since 1995

Analytics

These connections as data: /graph/engine/lycoming-io-540-ae1a5.json · about the eFlight graph.

Aircraft newest certificates first · 1,037

Tail no.	Maker and model	Group	Owner and base	Certificate	Registered	Status
N264RB	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Aerostar International INC Lewes, Delaware	Standard	2007-07-13	Valid
N443AS	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	443 Alpha Sierra LLC Tulsa, Oklahoma	Standard	2007-07-12	Valid
N6555C	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Kiwi Air LLC Clarkston, Washington	Standard	2007-05-24	Valid
N3246H	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2007-05-16	Valid
N3158X	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Jims Helicopter LLC Waupun, Wisconsin	Standard	2007-03-21	Valid
N130GF	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard		Sale reported
N164RK	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Aerinova INC Mattoon, Illinois	Standard		Valid
N1958C	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Csd Enterprises INC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard		Valid
N213AW	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Telford Aircraft LLC Telford, Tennessee	Standard		Valid
N220SW	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Bas Part Sales LLC Greeley, Colorado	Standard		Valid
N24DF	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Cape Copters LLC Scott City, Missouri	Standard		Valid
N3027P	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Robinson Helicopter CO Torrance, California	Experimental		Valid
N323MW	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Boomerang Air LLC Cedar Park, Texas	Standard		Valid
N346GG	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Robinson Helicopter CO Torrance, California	Standard		Valid (manufacturer)
N354GG	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Robinson Helicopter CO Torrance, California	Standard		Valid (manufacturer)
N360PD	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Precision Aerobatics INC DBA Santa Margarita, California	Standard		Valid
N368TM	Robinson Helicopter R44	Helicopter	Robinson Helicopter CO Torrance, California	Standard		Valid (manufacturer)
N39CS	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Robinson Helicopter CO Torrance, California	Standard		Valid (manufacturer)
N40079	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Atlantic Coast Helicopters LTD Ronkonkoma, New York	Standard		Valid
N4007X	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Robinson Helicopter CO Torrance, California	Standard		Valid (manufacturer)
N4008V	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Robinson Helicopter CO Torrance, California	Standard		Valid (manufacturer)
N40444	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Robinson Helicopter CO Torrance, California	Standard		Valid
N41411	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Aerinova INC Mattoon, Illinois	Standard		Valid
N444NW	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Individual owner Washington	Standard		Pending
N445HS	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Bas Part Sales LLC Greeley, Colorado	Standard		Valid
N44KY	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Bas Part Sales LLC Greeley, Colorado	Standard		Valid
N44NV	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Individual owner North Dakota	Standard		Pending
N512RT	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Bas Part Sales LLC Greeley, Colorado	Standard		Valid
N553DL	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard		Pending
N63BK	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Individual owner California	Standard		Pending
N750GT	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Individual owner Montana	Standard		Pending cancellation
N829RP	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Individual owner New York	Standard		Canceled
N83PG	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Rb Aviation Enterprise LLC Palm City, Florida	Standard		Valid
N859LE	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Robinson Helicopter CO Torrance, California	Standard		Valid (manufacturer)
N878BC	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Bas Part Sales LLC Greeley, Colorado	Standard		Valid
N915BW	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Individual owner California	Standard		Expired dealer
N944CM	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Individual owner Delaware	Standard		Sale reported

Source: FAA Civil Aviation Registry, Releasable Aircraft Database (the engine reference table and each aircraft's engine code), October 5, 2026. Horsepower and thrust are the FAA's figures for the series, not for a particular aircraft.