Overview

The Piper PA-23-250 Aztec D is the fourth production iteration of Piper’s PA-23 twin, built between 1969 and 1972 at Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. It carries the same airframe geometry and 250-horsepower powerplant pairing as the C model that preceded it; the D’s distinguishing changes are operational, not structural. A redesigned instrument panel placed flight, engine, and navigation groups in standardized positions, and the control column was revised. Approximately 500 D-model airframes were produced before the longer, six-window E variant superseded it.

The Aztec sits in the load-hauling middle of the light-twin market. Empty weight near 3,042 pounds against a 5,200-pound maximum takeoff weight leaves a useful load around 2,158 pounds, so with 144 usable gallons and six seats an operator can fill the tanks, the cabin, and the 300-pound baggage compartment without exceeding gross. That capacity earned the type a long second life as a freighter, jump-plane, and bush twin in operations where useful load matters more than block speed. It is unhurried, cruising 172 knots at 75 percent power, but stable and forgiving, which suits it to instrument work, business travel, and owner-flown family trips. The Aztec D is the right twin for the operator who needs to put six people, full fuel, and baggage over the same leg and will accept 172 knots to do it; it is the wrong one for a buyer whose first priority is cruise speed or fuel economy.

Key Features for GA Buyers

• Useful load near 2,158 pounds. Six adults with bags and full fuel is achievable, which is unusual in this class.
• Fuel injection from Lycoming IO-540-C4B5s. Eliminates carburetor ice as a routine concern and supports leaning discipline. Well-supported through the Lycoming overhaul network with a 2,000-hour TBO.
• Six-place cabin with separate baggage compartment. A 300-pound rear baggage hold supplements the cabin and supports realistic family or business loads.
• Stable instrument platform. Type clubs consistently describe the airframe as stable under instrument flight, holding altitude and trim with minimal pilot input.
• Short-field takeoff: 1,250 feet over a 50-foot obstacle; landing 1,620 feet over the same.
• Retractable tricycle gear, hydraulically actuated. Gear-extension speed limit of 132 KIAS gives flexibility on descent.
• Modest acquisition cost on the used market for its cabin and payload.

Trade-offs

• 172 KTAS at 75 percent power. Modest cruise for a six-place twin, traded away for cabin and payload.
• Combined fuel burn near 27 GPH at 75 percent. Range is generous in absolute terms but cost-per-mile is high relative to a single-engine high-performance airplane covering the same trip.
• Single-engine ceiling of 6,400 feet. Engine-out climb at high density altitude is marginal; mission planning must respect this.
• Fuel-cell aging. Bladder tanks in older Aztecs are prone to leaks, and replacement is a documented ownership cost.
• Parts availability for D-specific components. Most maintenance items are common across the type, but some D-only interior, panel, and electrical parts are now sourced through salvage operations.
• Insurance complexity for low-multi pilots. Premiums and minimum-time requirements step up sharply versus a single.
• Limited utility above 12,000 feet. Naturally aspirated; performance, true airspeed, and useful load all degrade in the high teens.

See Also

• Piper PA-23 Apache – direct predecessor on the same airframe with smaller engines. Compare
• Piper PA-34 Seneca – Piper’s natural successor light twin in the same six-place class. Compare
• Beechcraft Baron 55 – contemporary Beechcraft six-place piston twin and direct competitor. Compare
• Cessna 310 – contemporary Cessna six-place piston twin and direct competitor. Compare
• Piper Navajo – Piper’s larger cabin-class step-up from the Aztec. Compare