Engines · piston (reciprocating) · data as of October 8, 2026

Lycoming IO-540 series

4,218 aircraft on the U.S. register carry a Lycoming IO-540 series engine, rated at about 300 horsepower. The Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six, Lance and Saratoga is the model most often fitted with it (1,059 aircraft). The aircraft carrying it were built between 1965 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 series (2 codes). FAA spellings: IO-540 SER · IO 540 SER.

Fitted to model families

Model families, as a table

	aircraft
Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six, Lance and Saratoga	1,059
Cessna 182 Skylane	978
Robinson R44	294
Piper PA-23 Apache and Aztec	175
Daher (Socata) TB-20	151
Maule M-7	108
Cessna 206 Stationair	99
Piper AEROSTAR 601	84
Rockwell International 114	78
Commander Aircraft Co 114	63
Maule M-6	47
Maule MT-7	42

Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six, Lance and Saratoga · Cessna 182 Skylane · Robinson R44 · Piper PA-23 Apache and Aztec · Daher (Socata) TB-20 · Maule M-7 · Cessna 206 Stationair · Piper AEROSTAR 601 · Rockwell International 114 · Commander Aircraft Co 114

Where they are owner's state

Texas420Florida398California295Delaware218North Carolina124Georgia123Michigan115Pennsylvania109Alaska109Alabama108

By state, as a table

	aircraft
Texas	420
Florida	398
California	295
Delaware	218
North Carolina	124
Georgia	123
Michigan	115
Pennsylvania	109
Alaska	109
Alabama	108

Kind of aircraft

Piston singles3,503 (83%)Piston twins410 (10%)Helicopters296 (7%)Turboprops9 (0.2%)

By kind, as a table

	aircraft	share
Piston singles	3,503	83%
Piston twins	410	10%
Helicopters	296	7%
Turboprops	9	0.2%

When the aircraft were built by decade

By decade built, as a table

	aircraft
1940	2
1950	13
1960	96
1970	797
1980	579
1990	748
2000	1,339
2010	78
2020	56

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

The design is held under 1 type certificate (1E4, held by Lycoming Engines). The FAA has issued 49 airworthiness directives (orders that owners must comply with) that name this engine series. Operators and repair shops have filed 316 failure reports with the FAA since 1995, 17 of them in the last ten years.

FAA orders 49 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

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

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

All orders naming the Lycoming IO-540 series

Failure reports 316 since · what operators and shops told the FAA

Failure reports by year, as a table

	reports
95	3
96	3
97	3
98	4
99	4
00	11
01	37
02	15
03	37
04	34
05	50
06	30
07	19
08	12
09	3
10	12
11	2
12	7
13	5
14	6
15	2
17	1
19	4
20	2
22	2
23	1
24	5
26	2

Parts most often reported as the reports name them

Magneto19Cylinder10Bearing8Gasket8Bolt7Boot7Actuator6Line6Pump6Baffle5

Parts most reported, as a table

	reports
Magneto	19
Cylinder	10
Bearing	8
Gasket	8
Bolt	7
Boot	7
Actuator	6
Line	6
Pump	6
Baffle	5

Latest reports

2026-05-09Thrust Button: faulted

2026-01-29Magneto: failed

2024-08-07Magneto: failed

2024-08-06Magneto: failed

2024-03-14Magneto: failed

Certificates and bulletins

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

Safety bulletins 14 · 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,...

2011-03-31NE-08-26R3 · Magneto/Distributor

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

Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six, Lance and Saratoga 1,059 with this engine series
Cessna 182 Skylane 978 with this engine series
Robinson R44 294 with this engine series
Piper PA-23 Apache and Aztec 175 with this engine series
Daher (Socata) TB-20 151 with this engine series
Maule M-7 108 with this engine series
Cessna 206 Stationair 99 with this engine series
Piper AEROSTAR 601 84 with this engine series

Where they are

Texas 420 of these aircraft
Florida 398 of these aircraft
California 295 of these aircraft
Delaware 218 of these aircraft
North Carolina 124 of these aircraft

Biggest operators

Civil Air Patrol 55 of these aircraft
Southern Aircraft Consultancy INC Trustee 20 of these aircraft
Barr Air Patrol LLC 17 of these aircraft
International Air Services INC Trustee 16 of these aircraft
T A F Y Consulting 14 of these aircraft

Airworthiness

FAA orders naming the Lycoming IO-540 series 49 airworthiness directives
Failure reports on the Lycoming IO-540 series 316 reports since 1995

Analytics

The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/engine/lycoming-io-540-series.json.

Aircraft newest certificates first · 4,218

Tail no.	Maker and model	Group	Owner and base	Certificate	Registered	Status
N9236N	Piper PA-32R-301	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2014-04-16	Valid
N997GW	Cessna 182T	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2014-04-14	Valid
N77812	Cessna 182T	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2014-04-10	Valid
N74767	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Emerald City Aircraft Leasing INC Port Orchard, Washington	Standard	2014-04-09	Valid
N338N	Piper PA-60-602P	Fixed-wing, multi-engine	Eldor Industries INC Toledo, Ohio	Standard	2014-04-07	Valid
N36071	Piper PA-32RT-300	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aero Systems Consultants INC Tulsa, Oklahoma	Standard	2014-04-07	Valid
N4240X	Maule M-7-260C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Maule Group LLC Danbury, Connecticut	Standard	2014-04-07	Valid
N8470Y	Piper PA-32-301	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2014-04-04	Valid
N206KM	Cessna 206H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2014-04-03	Valid
N119WK	Piper PA 46-350P	Fixed-wing, single engine	Ontop Airops LLC Maumee, Ohio	Standard	2014-04-02	Valid
N8403B	Piper PA-32R-301	Fixed-wing, single engine	Volare Via LLC Piqua, Ohio	Standard	2014-04-01	Valid
N52757	Cessna 182T	Fixed-wing, single engine	Brady Aviation LTD CO Friendswood, Texas	Standard	2014-03-28	Valid
N528MJ	Cessna 182T	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association Frederick, Maryland	Standard	2014-03-27	Valid
N3541A	Cessna 182T	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2014-03-19	Valid
N523SM	Cessna 182S	Fixed-wing, single engine	First Owl Creek LLC Aspen, Colorado	Standard	2014-03-19	Valid
N500DS	Rockwell International 114	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2014-03-18	Valid
N44XC	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Sendero Helicopters LLC Bandera, Texas	Standard	2014-03-17	Valid
N447MH	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2014-03-14	Valid
N70SX	Menear Elwood F SX-300	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Experimental	2014-03-14	Valid
N7523T	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	November Alpha LLC Dover, Delaware	Standard	2014-03-12	Valid
N43WW	Piper PA-32R-301	Fixed-wing, single engine	Maxxum Financial Group INC Destrehan, Louisiana	Standard	2014-03-07	Valid
N442AH	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Ferrante Aviation INC Vandergrift, Pennsylvania	Standard	2014-03-06	Valid
N926BB	Piper PA-32-300	Fixed-wing, single engine	Bb Air Stuart, Florida	Standard	2014-02-27	Valid
N726SM	Mcintosh Verlin MCINTOSH CRSTN EAGLE	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Wisconsin	Experimental	2014-02-26	Valid
N359C	Piper PA-31-325	Fixed-wing, multi-engine	Marc INC Bolton, Mississippi	Standard	2014-02-25	Valid
N91AR	Maule M-6-235	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Restricted	2014-02-20	Valid
N84MG	Nevada Flyboys Llp RV-10	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Experimental	2014-02-13	Valid
N66KB	Iar Sa Brasov IAR 823	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Experimental	2014-02-11	Valid
N78TS	Smith AEROSTAR 600	Fixed-wing, multi-engine	Celeritas CORP Cranford, New Jersey	Standard	2014-02-10	Valid
N837HB	Piper PA-23-250	Fixed-wing, multi-engine	Individual owner Mississippi	Standard	2014-02-03	Valid
N927GS	Maule M-7-260C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Gina Bakiares Santori Dpm LLC Lisle, Illinois	Standard	2014-01-28	Valid
N234TA	Piper PA-32-300	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Minnesota	Standard	2014-01-27	Valid
N38208	Piper PA-32R-300	Fixed-wing, single engine	Jb Airways LLC Linden, Pennsylvania	Standard	2014-01-22	Valid
N41JR	Freer John E GLASAIR III	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Experimental	2014-01-21	Valid
N702SB	Piper AEROSTAR 601P	Fixed-wing, multi-engine	Sierra Bravo Partnership Liberal, Kansas	Standard	2014-01-21	Valid
N744TW	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Tumbleweed Leasing CO INC Salt Lake City, Utah	Standard	2014-01-15	Valid
N1RW	Maule M-7-235	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2014-01-14	Valid
N19PE	Piper PA-32RT-300	Fixed-wing, single engine	N19Pe LLC Stone Mountain, Georgia	Standard	2014-01-08	Valid
N37BT	Piper PA-32R-301	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2014-01-02	Valid
N325XS	Whittaker Tim PITTS S1XS	Fixed-wing, single engine	Burns Craft LLC Wilmington, Delaware	Experimental	2013-12-31	Valid
N2748F	Cessna 182S	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2013-12-18	Valid
N8170F	Piper PA-32R-301	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Rhode Island	Standard	2013-12-18	Valid
N900CL	Piper PA-32-300	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2013-12-18	Valid
N767KT	Cessna 182S	Fixed-wing, single engine	Stitch and Purl LLC Sparks, Nevada	Standard	2013-12-13	Valid
N789GR	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	H Richardson & Sons LLC Ogdensburg, New York	Standard	2013-12-12	Valid
N619RB	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	November Alpha LLC Dover, Delaware	Multiple	2013-12-10	Valid
N8398J	Piper PA-32-301	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-12-10	Valid
N27PW	Commander Aircraft Co 114-B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2013-11-26	Valid
N450AS	Piper PA-23-250	Fixed-wing, multi-engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	2013-11-26	Valid
N637JD	Piper PA-32R-301	Fixed-wing, single engine	Talms Aircraft LLC Baton Rouge, Louisiana	Standard	2013-11-19	Valid
N280AS	Piper PA-32R-300	Fixed-wing, single engine	Bravo Aviation Club LLC Cary, North Carolina	Standard	2013-11-12	Valid
N63994	Piper PA-23-250	Fixed-wing, multi-engine	Dairy Air INC Wyoming, Pennsylvania	Standard	2013-11-06	Valid
N8385S	Piper PA-32-301	Fixed-wing, single engine	N8385S LLC Lancaster, Pennsylvania	Standard	2013-11-06	Valid
N14281	Piper PA-23-250	Fixed-wing, multi-engine	Technical Education Services INC T/A Virginia Beach, Virginia	Experimental	2013-11-05	Valid
N55MJ	Piper PA-32R-301	Fixed-wing, single engine	Barodge Equipment Leasing INC Fairmount, Indiana	Standard	2013-11-01	Valid
N716RG	Piper PA-32R-301	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-10-31	Valid
N8313T	Piper PA-32R-301	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2013-10-22	Valid
N97LA	Piper PA-32R-301	Fixed-wing, single engine	White Eagle 3 LLC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2013-09-27	Valid
N12VR	Maule MX-7-235	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2013-09-12	Valid
N9215D	Piper PA-32R-301	Fixed-wing, single engine	Toga LLC Cumming, Georgia	Standard	2013-09-09	Valid
N152ME	Cessna 182S	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2013-09-05	Valid
N60TB	Socata TB-20 TRINIDAD	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2013-09-04	Valid
N5UB	Socata TB-20 TRINIDAD	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Virginia	Standard	2013-08-21	Valid
N69AJ	Piper PA-23-250	Fixed-wing, multi-engine	Kolea Leasing LLC Honolulu, Hawaii	Standard	2013-08-21	Valid
N74381	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Pollux Aviation LTD Wasilla, Alaska	Standard	2013-08-21	Valid
N144DZ	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Aurora Helicopters LLC Lansing, Illinois	Standard	2013-08-20	Valid
N144PD	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	California Aviation Services INC Riverside, California	Standard	2013-08-19	Valid
N8415P	Aerofab Inc LAKE LA-250	Fixed-wing, single engine	Fathoms LLC Leland, Michigan	Standard	2013-08-16	Valid
N214FA	Cessna 182T	Fixed-wing, single engine	Georgia Forestry Commission Macon, Georgia	Standard	2013-08-12	Valid
N9457P	Piper PA-24-260	Fixed-wing, single engine	N84Dt LLC Missoula, Montana	Standard	2013-08-09	Valid
N18MW	Piper PA-23-250	Fixed-wing, multi-engine	Red State LLC Daytona Beach, Florida	Standard	2013-08-02	Valid
N20945	Cessna 182T	Fixed-wing, single engine	Georgia Forestry Commission Macon, Georgia	Standard	2013-08-01	Valid
N6050Z	Commander Aircraft Co 114-B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2013-07-29	Valid
N442CP	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Emerald City Aircraft Leasing INC Port Orchard, Washington	Standard	2013-07-24	Valid
N235MJ	Shell R D EXPRESS S-90	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Experimental	2013-07-23	Valid
N2356L	Cessna 182S	Fixed-wing, single engine	Circle B Pipe & Supply LLC Odessa, Texas	Standard	2013-07-18	Valid
N9503Q	Cessna 182S	Fixed-wing, single engine	Gulf Coast Helicopters INC Pearland, Texas	Standard	2013-07-17	Valid
N881JF	Cessna 182S	Fixed-wing, single engine	Griffin Aviation LLC Minneapolis, Minnesota	Standard	2013-07-16	Valid
N824DK	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Warner Farm CORP Onida, South Dakota	Standard	2013-07-10	Valid
N65236	Cessna 182T	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Connecticut	Standard	2013-06-21	Valid
N334SA	Cessna 182S	Fixed-wing, single engine	Schaumburg Flying Club Nfp Palatine, Illinois	Standard	2013-06-20	Valid
N7371T	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	Emerald City Aircraft Leasing INC Port Orchard, Washington	Standard	2013-06-20	Valid
N425NM	Zivko Aeronautics Inc EDGE 540-T	Fixed-wing, single engine	425Nm INC Denver, Colorado	Experimental	2013-06-18	Valid
N685MD	Piper PA-23-250	Fixed-wing, multi-engine	Abacus Automation INC Bennington, Vermont	Standard	2013-06-18	Valid
N56TB	Socata TB-20 TRINIDAD	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hernandez Holdings LP Coral Gables, Florida	Standard	2013-06-11	Valid
N8334N	Piper PA-32-301	Fixed-wing, single engine	N8334N LLC Louisa, Virginia	Standard	2013-06-05	Valid
N621KH	Piper PA-32RT-300	Fixed-wing, single engine	Moody Aviation Management LLC Forest, Virginia	Standard	2013-05-31	Valid
N312RM	Cessna 182S	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sunny Days Prop Jox LLC Niceville, Florida	Standard	2013-05-28	Valid
N9584Q	Cessna 182S	Fixed-wing, single engine	Howard Genetics INC Ardmore, Oklahoma	Standard	2013-05-22	Valid
N2446A	Cessna 182S	Fixed-wing, single engine	Skybound Aviation LLC Bixby, Oklahoma	Standard	2013-05-20	Valid
N718M	Piper PA-23-250	Fixed-wing, multi-engine	Wescon Margin INC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2013-05-16	Valid
N510D	Piper PA-23-250	Fixed-wing, multi-engine	Youngs Water Conditioning of Logansport LLC Logansport, Indiana	Standard	2013-05-13	Valid
N5543T	Socata TB-20 TRINIDAD	Fixed-wing, single engine	Trinidad Flyers LLC Fort Meade, Maryland	Standard	2013-05-03	Valid
N2376V	Cessna 182S	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2013-05-01	Valid
N82455	Piper PA-32-301	Fixed-wing, single engine	Gmt Enterprises LLC Naknek, Alaska	Standard	2013-04-25	Valid
N9273B	Piper PA-32R-301	Fixed-wing, single engine	All-In Aviation LLC Fort Myers, Florida	Standard	2013-04-15	Valid
N8061J	Just Timothy W JUST PITTS S2-S	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Experimental	2013-04-09	Valid
N2439T	Cessna 182S	Fixed-wing, single engine	Skylane 2439T Partners LLC Burlingame, California	Standard	2013-04-08	Valid
N74602	Robinson Helicopter R44 II	Helicopter	November Alpha LLC Dover, Delaware	Standard	2013-04-05	Valid
N7276Q	Cessna 182S	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Minnesota	Standard	2013-04-04	Valid

Source: FAA Civil Aviation Registry, Releasable Aircraft Database (the engine reference table and each aircraft's engine code), October 8, 2026. Horsepower and thrust are the FAA's figures for the series, not for a particular aircraft.

	reports
95	3
96	3
97	3
98	4
99	4
00	11
01	37
02	15
03	37
04	34
05	50
06	30
07	19
08	12
09	3
10	12
11	2
12	7
13	5
14	6
15	2
17	1
19	4
20	2
22	2
23	1
24	5
26	2

	reports
95	3
96	3
97	3
98	4
99	4
00	11
01	37
02	15
03	37
04	34
05	50
06	30
07	19
08	12
09	3
10	12
11	2
12	7
13	5
14	6
15	2
17	1
19	4
20	2
22	2
23	1
24	5
26	2

	reports
95	3
96	3
97	3
98	4
99	4
00	11
01	37
02	15
03	37
04	34
05	50
06	30
07	19
08	12
09	3
10	12
11	2
12	7
13	5
14	6
15	2
17	1
19	4
20	2
22	2
23	1
24	5
26	2