N438SL - 1979 Piper PA-28-161 Aircraft Registration

P28A

1979 PIPER PA-28-161

Aircraft Description

N438SL is a 1979 Piper PA-28-161, a single-engine reciprocating (piston) aircraft registered to Griffith Aviation INC in Griffith, IN. This aircraft holds a standard airworthiness certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration on January 25, 1979. The registration certificate was issued on December 2, 2011. The registration is set to expire on December 31, 2027. Powered by a Lycoming 0-320 SERIES engine producing 180 horsepower, N438SL is. The aircraft's Mode S transponder code is A54271 (hex), used for ADS-B identification and flight tracking. N438SL was last tracked by AviatorDB at coordinates 41.5335, -87.3975 on March 23, 2026. The FAA registry record for N438SL was last updated on April 7, 2023. AviatorDB monitors aircraft positions through ADS-B surveillance data and updates records as new position data is received.

The Piper M600 represents the pinnacle of single-engine turboprop aviation, combining advanced safety technology with exceptional performance capabilities. First entering production in 2016, this low-wing single-engine aircraft seats six passengers and features the revolutionary Garmin Autoland system, making it the first certified aircraft with autonomous landing capability. Powered by a 600-shaft-horsepower Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A turboprop engine, the M600 achieves a maximum operating speed of 250 knots with a range exceeding 1,000 nautical miles. The aircraft is manufactured by Piper Aircraft Corporation at their Vero Beach, Florida facility. AviatorDB tracks 48,285 Piper aircraft currently registered in the FAA database. The ICAO type designator for this aircraft model is M600.

AviatorDB has found no NTSB accident or incident reports involving N438SL. AviatorDB cross-references all FAA registration data with NTSB accident and incident reports, providing a comprehensive safety overview for every registered aircraft in the United States.

Model Year
1979
Manufacturer
PIPER
Model
PA-28-161
Type Aircraft
Fixed Wing Single Engine
ICAO Type Code
P28ACherokee (PA-28-140/150/160/180)
Cruise Speed
108 mph
Weight Class
Up to 12,500 lbs
Airworthiness Date
January 25, 1979
Classification
Standard Normal Category
Type Registration
Corporation
Status
Valid Registration
Cert Issue Date
December 2, 2011

Registered Owner

Name
GRIFFITH AVIATION INC
Address
1705 E MAIN ST
City
GRIFFITH
State / Zip Code
Indiana46319-2941
Country
United States

Powerplant & Avionics

Engine Type
Reciprocating
Number of Engines
1
Engine Manufacturer
LYCOMING
Engine Model
0-320 SERIES
Horsepower
180 HP
Mode S Code (Oct)
51241161
Mode S Code (Hex)
A54271

Additional Details

Registration
N438SL
Serial Number
28-7916276
Number of Engines
1
Number of Seats
4
Expiration Date
December 31, 2027
Last Action Date
April 7, 2023
Last Update Date
January 19, 2026
Unique ID
00311522

Last Known Position

Date
April 29, 2026 (UTC 23:59:59)
Airport
Latitude
41.60083
Longitude
-86.91409

Data Source

Data provided by the US Federal Aviation Administration. View on FAA.gov

Last updated: 2026-05-15 01:32:20 UTC