Piper Aircraft · Twin-engine piston plane
Piper PA-34 Seneca
Is the Piper PA-34 Seneca safe? It ranks Shared rankWithin 1 point of other aircraft types: the difference is not meaningful.More in the glossary of 23 small planes we rate, with 14 fatal accidents counted in about 2.1 million US flights since 2008.
Likely range 40 to 53
How the score is built
- Fatal accidents
- 14 in 2.1 million flights
6.7 fatal accidents per million flights. Counted: all civil flights in the United States since 2008 (private, training, charter and other), accidents and unexplained losses; not counted: accidents outside the United States or before 2008, military, test and illegal flights, sabotage, hijackings, shoot-downs and deliberate crew acts.
- Full-loss equivalents
- 12.8
Each counted accident adds the share of people on board who died (1 = no survivors). This is what the score is based on.
- Flights flown
- 2.1 million
Estimated flights of all kinds in the United States since 2008. Flights of all kinds in the United States (private, training, charter and other civil use) 2008 to 3 November 2026, each counted from take-off to final landing: the hours of all US piston twins in each year (active aircraft and hours from the FAA General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey), split between types by US-registered aircraft (FAA register, 915 of this type in 2024) times how much each type flies against its class (1.00, mostly from airframe hours in NTSB accident records, partly from hours per aircraft seen by ADS-B receivers in 2019-2022), at 0.91 hours per flight from ADS-B tracks: about 111 flights per registered aircraft per year in 2024. Flights and accidents outside the United States, or before 2008, are not used. Against the FAA's hours per helicopter model, this method is off by about 22% on a typical type. Uncertainty roughly ±25%.
- Technology generation
- Twin-engine piston plane
Small fleets are pulled toward the record of the other types of their generation: 11.5 full-loss equivalents per million flights over 19 million flights. Weight of this family's own record: 88%.
- Likely range
- 40 to 53
The score is 90% likely to lie in this range, given how few accidents a type has and the error in the estimate of its flights.
- Last fatal accident
- 4 January 2023
Private, New Harmony, UT, United States of America: 1 of 1 people on board died.
- Aircraft destroyed
- 14
Aircraft the NTSB coded as destroyed in an accident in the United States since 2008, fatal or not, from all causes. The NTSB codes many wrecks as only substantially damaged, so the real number is higher (context only, not in the score).
Compared with everyday risks
One flight on the Piper PA-34 Seneca carries about the same risk of death as the activities near it below.
- An hour's walk1 in 14 million
- Driving 100 miles (160 km)1 in 5.9 million
- An ordinary day: accidents and violence1 in 1 million
- A day of skiing1 in 830,000
- A scuba dive1 in 500,000
- Cycling 100 miles (160 km)1 in 430,000
- Running a marathon1 in 290,000
- A skydive1 in 250,000
- One flight on the Piper PA-34 SenecaThis aircraft1 in 150,000
- A general anaesthetic1 in 100,000
- Riding a motorbike 100 miles (160 km)1 in 83,000
Accident history
14 fatal accidents in the United States since 2008 count toward the score, with 29 people on board killed.
| Date | Flight | Killed | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| PrivatePiper PA-34-220T · New Harmony, UT, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Leaving St. George, Utah, the pilot of the Seneca V flew into cloud over rising ground and steered through a pass with the autopilot; it then pitched and banked wildly and hit the ground near New Harmony. He died. NTSB: VFR flight into cloud and disorientation.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| US Aviation Group LLCPiper PA34 · Gainesville, TX, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a multi-engine lesson with touch-and-goes at Gainesville, Texas, the Seneca hit the ground left of the runway on short final with the left engine at low or no power and burned; the instructor and student died. NTSB: speed lost with uneven power, then loss of control.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operatorPiper PA34 · Westhampton Beach, NY, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | An instructor and two others climbed the Seneca II from Danbury through cloud to 19,400 ft without oxygen and with a faulty attitude display; it spiralled down and broke up over the sea off Westhampton Beach. All three died. NTSB: VFR into cloud with a known instrument fault.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Dean International IncPiper PA34 · Miami, FL, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a commercial pilot checkride from Miami Executive, the Seneca collided almost head-on at about 1,500 ft over the Everglades with a Cessna 172 on a training flight; both on the Seneca and both on the Cessna died. NTSB: neither crew saw and avoided the other aircraft.Type: Mid-air collisionNTSB docket | |
| PrivatePiper PA34 · Bennington, VT, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Against advice to wait, a new commercial pilot flew the Seneca II VFR from Burlington, Vermont, into cloud over the mountains; while turning west as ATC suggested, it dived into wooded terrain near Bennington. He died. NTSB: VFR flight into cloud and loss of control in a turn.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| PrivatePiper PA34 · Minden, NV, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Descending from about 14,500 ft to Minden, Nevada, the pilot of the Seneca tried to spiral down through a gap in the cloud; the turn tightened, the speed passed the limit and it broke up. He died. NTSB: spatial disorientation in cloud; a sedating antihistamine was a factor.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| American Flight AcademyPiper PA34-200 · East Hartford, CT, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | On an instructional flight at Hartford-Brainard, Connecticut, the Seneca crashed near the airport; the student pilot at the controls died and the instructor was badly hurt. The NTSB handed the case to the FBI, which looked into a deliberate crash; the NTSB published no cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: SecurityNTSB docket | |
| PrivatePiper PA34-200T · Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | About a minute after a night departure from Flagstaff, Arizona, on a volunteer medical cargo flight, the Seneca II turned several times and dived into trees; the pilot died. Both engines had power. NTSB: the reason for the turns and the dive is unknown.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Unknown causeNTSB docket | |
| Fro-gutz Air LLCPiper PA34 · Kuttawa, KY, United States of America | 4 killed / 5 on board | Nearly three hours into a night flight in cloud from Tallahassee, the Seneca II lost power on both engines and hit trees 8 miles short of an airport near Kuttawa, Kentucky. Four of five died. NTSB: a fuel selector left on crossfeed, so both engines ran one tank dry.Type: FuelNTSB docket | |
| PilotPiper PA-34-200T · Port Huron, MI, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On a business flight, the pilot flew an unstable instrument approach to Port Huron, Michigan, in weather at or below minimums, went below the minimum height, then made a late missed approach and hit woods past the runway. He died. NTSB: descent below minimums.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Campbell Associates AT Curtiss Aero IncPiper PA-34-200T · Johnstown, NY, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | On a volunteer medical flight to Rome, New York, the pilot of the Seneca II loaded the wrong approach into the GPS, went off course, then entered a steep descending turn in cloud; it broke up near Caroga and all three died. NTSB: spatial disorientation, loss of control.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| PrivatePiper PA-34-200T · Manteo, NC, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | Too far down the runway after an instrument approach in fog at Manteo, North Carolina, the pilot of the Seneca II flew a low visual circuit with the altimeter not reset and hit Croatan Sound. He died; his passenger lived. NTSB: visual flight in cloud and disorientation.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| PrivatePiper PA-34-220T · Lincoln, MT, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Flying VFR in a 12-aircraft guided air tour from Helena, Montana, to Cranbrook, the pilot of the Seneca III flew into cloud over the mountains and hit trees near Huckleberry Pass; both on board died. NTSB: he flew on into low cloud and did not clear the terrain.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| PrivatePiper PA-34-200T · Huntington, WV, United States of America | 6 killed / 6 on board | A pilot with no instrument rating flew the overweight Seneca VFR towards Raleigh with no weather briefing, then called mayday low on fuel near Huntington, West Virginia. Radar vectors in heavy snow failed and it hit the ground; all six died. NTSB: VFR into cloud, disorientation.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket |
Among the light twins we rank, the Piper Seneca has one of the better records, behind only the Seminole, though it still trails common single-engine trainers. Up to 28 October 2026 we count 14 fatal accidents on US flights since 2008 and 29 deaths, over about 2.1 million estimated flights. That is weaker per flight than the Cessna 172, and better than the Piper Apache, Aztec and Twin Comanche and the Cessna 310 and 340, though their likely ranges overlap. Confidence is medium.
What is the Seneca?
Piper first flew the PA-34 in 1967, based on the Cherokee Six single. It is a low-wing, six-seat twin with retractable gear. Piper built about 5,000, from the Seneca I to the current Seneca V. The Seneca II added turbochargers. The FAA register shows about 920 US aircraft in 2024, down from about 1,150 in 2014.
Owners fly most. Flight schools use the Seneca for multi-engine and commercial training, and it appears on charity medical flights.
What the figures leave out
Small planes are scored on US fatal accidents since 2008 and on US flights estimated from the FAA register and the FAA General Aviation survey. The survey gives flying hours for light twins as a class; airframe hours in NTSB accident records and, to a lesser degree, ADS-B tracks from 2019 to 2022 split them between types, and together they put a Seneca close to the average twin. Aircraft without ADS-B are not seen and the NTSB hours come only from aircraft that crashed, so the estimate can still be off in either direction. A flight in any small plane carries far more risk than an airline flight. The method and the small planes ranking give the detail.
The record by flight purpose
| Flight purpose | Counted accidents |
|---|---|
| Private, business and other | 10 |
| Training | 4 |
By type, loss of control in flight leads with 7, then flights into terrain (3), and one each for fuel, mid-air collision, an undetermined cause and a case the NTSB handed to the FBI.
Cloud, mountains and fuel
Six accidents describe flights into cloud under visual rules, or visual flight in cloud. On 30 January 2009 a pilot without an instrument rating flew an overweight Seneca near Huntington, West Virginia, with no weather briefing, then called mayday low on fuel. All six aboard died, the deadliest event. On 30 May 2010 a Seneca III in a 12-aircraft guided air tour flew into cloud over the mountains near Lincoln, Montana; both on board died.
Fuel handling appears too. On 2 January 2015 a Seneca II at night in cloud lost power on both engines near Kuttawa, Kentucky. The NTSB found the selector on crossfeed, so both engines ran one tank dry. Four of five aboard died.
Engine failure in a Seneca
Senecas have propellers that turn in opposite directions, so neither engine is the critical one. The basic rule still holds: below the minimum control speed (Vmc) the rudder cannot keep the plane straight with one engine out. One counted training accident followed an engine problem. On 28 July 2019, near Gainesville, Texas, the NTSB found speed lost with uneven power, then loss of control, on a multi-engine lesson.
Training areas are busy too. On 17 July 2018 a Seneca on a checkride and a Cessna 172 collided over the Everglades; all four died.
Questions to ask the pilot
- Ask a private pilot whether they hold an instrument rating and fly in cloud often.
- Decline a flight into low cloud over high ground with a pilot who is not current.
- Ask how much fuel is on board and how the pilot will use each tank.
- For training, pick an instructor with many Seneca hours.
- Look up the registration in the FAA register and the NTSB database.
Trackers show PA34. For a smaller school twin, see the Piper Seminole.
Questions people ask
Is the Piper Seneca a safe plane?
Per flight, its record is among the better light twins we rate, behind the Piper Seminole, though weaker than common single-engine trainers such as the Cessna 172. With 14 counted accidents over about 2.1 million estimated flights, confidence is medium, and a few more accidents would change the picture.
What is the difference between the Seneca I, II and III?
The Seneca I has naturally aspirated engines. The Seneca II added turbochargers for better climb and cruise at height, and later versions, III to V, have more power. We rate them as one family.
Is the Seneca safer than the Piper Seminole?
Not in our data: the Seminole's record per flight is better, but both rest on few accidents and their likely ranges overlap. The Seminole is the four-seat school twin; the Seneca is larger, often turbocharged, and flown more by owners on trips.
Is a Seneca a good plane for a multi-engine rating?
Many schools use it. It costs more per hour than a four-seat Seminole, but trains you on turbocharged engines and a heavier twin, which helps if you plan to fly one for work.
Sources
- 1.NTSB docket: Piper PA-34-200T, Huntington, West Virginia, 30 January 2009 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 2.NTSB docket: Piper PA34, Kuttawa, Kentucky, 2 January 2015 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 3.NTSB docket: Piper PA34, Gainesville, Texas, 28 July 2019 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 4.NTSB docket: Piper PA34, Miami, Florida, 17 July 2018 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 5.NTSB docket: Piper PA-34-220T, Lincoln, Montana, 30 May 2010 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 6.SafetyScorer exposure model: FAA aircraft register, FAA General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey, OpenSky ADS-B, NTSB airframe hours (opens in a new tab)Flights of all kinds in the United States (private, training, charter and other civil use) 2008 to 3 November 2026, each counted from take-off to final landing: the hours of all US piston twins in each year (active aircraft and hours from the FAA General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey), split between types by US-registered aircraft (FAA register, 915 of this type in 2024) times how much each type flies against its class (1.00, mostly from airframe hours in NTSB accident records, partly from hours per aircraft seen by ADS-B receivers in 2019-2022), at 0.91 hours per flight from ADS-B tracks: about 111 flights per registered aircraft per year in 2024. Flights and accidents outside the United States, or before 2008, are not used. Against the FAA's hours per helicopter model, this method is off by about 22% on a typical type. Uncertainty roughly ±25%.