The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Engines · piston (reciprocating) · data as of October 5, 2026

Lycoming IO-540-E1A5

4 aircraft on the U.S. register carry a Lycoming IO-540-E1A5 engine, rated at about 290 horsepower. The Aero Commander 500 is the model most often fitted with it (3 aircraft). The aircraft carrying it were built between 1961 and 2013.

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-E1A5. FAA spelling: IO-540-E1A5.

Fitted to model families

Aero Commander 5003Ellzey Andrew James VELOCITY XL-RG1

Aero Commander 500 · Ellzey Andrew James VELOCITY XL-RG

Where they are owner's state

Texas1Kansas1Georgia1Arkansas1

Kind of aircraft

Piston twins3 (75%)Piston singles1 (25%)

When the aircraft were built by decade

012233196012010

What the FAA has certified, ordered and been told about the Lycoming IO-540-E1A5 the component layer

The design is held under 1 type certificate (1E4, held by Lycoming Engines). The FAA has issued 37 airworthiness directives (orders that owners must comply with) that name this engine series. Operators and repair shops have filed 38 failure reports with the FAA since 1995, 11 of them in the last ten years.

FAA orders 37 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
2015-11-032015-19-07 · Fuel injector fuel lines · engine
2012-10-242012-19-01 · Crankshafts · engine
2012-02-242012-03-06 · Fuel servo diaphragm · engine

All orders naming the Lycoming IO-540-E1A5

Failure reports 38 since · what operators and shops told the FAA

036811960107215

Parts most often reported as the reports name them

Cylinder7Wire4Bracket3Nut3Stud3Rod Bolt2Camshaft1Cap1Capacitor1Control Box1

Latest reports

2015-07-06Retainer: cracked
2015-04-15Pressure Switch: failed
2012-11-15Wire: damaged
2012-10-25Wire: broken
2009-10-16Plug: damaged

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
Where they are
Biggest operators
Airworthiness

These connections as data: /graph/engine/lycoming-io-540-e1a5.json · about the eFlight graph.

Aircraft newest certificates first · 4

Tail no.Maker and modelGroupOwner and baseCertificateRegisteredStatus
N520DR Aero Commander
500-B
Fixed-wing, multi-engine Dmgf LLC
Bertram, Texas
Special flight permit 2019-12-18 ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes
N151AJ Ellzey Andrew James
VELOCITY XL-RG
Fixed-wing, single engine Individual owner
Arkansas
Experimental 2009-08-03 ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes
N713SP Aero Commander
500-B
Fixed-wing, multi-engine Central Airlines INC
Leawood, Kansas
Standard 1979-04-25 ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes
N346UD Aero Commander
500-B
Fixed-wing, multi-engine Jack W Berry and Associates INC
Peachtree City, Georgia
Standard 1971-09-29 ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes

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.