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

Lycoming IO-540-E1B5

4 aircraft on the U.S. register carry a Lycoming IO-540-E1B5 engine, rated at about 290 horsepower. The Aero Commander 500 is the model most often fitted with it (4 aircraft). The aircraft carrying it were built between 1962 and 1978.

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-E1B5. FAA spelling: IO-540-E1B5.

Fitted to model families

Aero Commander 5004

Aero Commander 500

Where they are owner's state

Virginia1Pennsylvania1Arizona1

Kind of aircraft

Piston twins4 (100%)

When the aircraft were built by decade

001222196021970

What the FAA has certified, ordered and been told about the Lycoming IO-540-E1B5 the component layer

The design is held under 1 type certificate (1E4, held by Lycoming Engines). The FAA has issued 36 airworthiness directives (orders that owners must comply with) that name this engine series. Operators and repair shops have filed 87 failure reports with the FAA since 1995, 19 of them in the last ten years.

FAA orders 36 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
2022-08-152022-16-03 · Engine (RECIPROCATING) · 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-E1B5

Failure reports 87 since · what operators and shops told the FAA

0481216960107113

Parts most often reported as the reports name them

Fuel Cell7Crankshaft6Magneto5Bracket4Pin4Bearing3Clevis3Cylinder3Engine3Seal3

Latest reports

2013-07-12Drive Assy: activated
2012-07-23Line: leaking
2010-01-05Spar Cap: corroded
2009-02-24Bracket: loose
2009-01-26Shaft: cracked

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-e1b5.json · about the eFlight graph.

Aircraft newest certificates first · 4

Tail no.Maker and modelGroupOwner and baseCertificateRegisteredStatus
N210HD Aero Commander
500 S
Fixed-wing, multi-engine Ponderosa Aviation LLC
Safford, Arizona
Standard 2026-05-14 ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes
N957JA Aero Commander
500 S
Fixed-wing, multi-engine Cbmw LLC
Wise, Virginia
Standard 2026-01-28 ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes
N741CA Aero Commander
500 S
Fixed-wing, multi-engine Individual owner
Pennsylvania
Standard 2025-03-15 ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes
N458PA Aero Commander
500-B
Fixed-wing, multi-engine Individual owner
Standard 2016-07-22 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.