Definition
A light twin-engine, four- to five-seat, low-wing piston aircraft produced by Piper Aircraft from 1954 to 1962. The PA-23 Apache was Piper's first twin and is commonly used as a training and personal transport airplane, originally powered by two 150-horsepower Lycoming engines (later versions had 160 hp engines).
Plain English
A small, two-engine propeller airplane built by Piper, often used for multi-engine training and light personal travel.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA training examples where a specific aircraft type is used to explain a pilot decision or flight situation.
Derivation
Piper is the manufacturer's name. 'Apache' follows Piper's tradition of naming aircraft after Native American tribes. 'PA-23' is the factory model designation: 'PA' for Piper Aircraft, '23' for the 23rd design in their numbered sequence.
Why Pilots Care
The Apache is one of the classic trainers used to earn a multi-engine rating, so pilots often encounter it when stepping up from single-engine to twin-engine flying.
Intuition Check
Do not confuse the Piper Apache with the AH-64 Apache military helicopter. In this FAA context, Piper Apache means the PA-23 light twin-engine airplane.
Example Sentence 1
He earned his multi-engine rating in a Piper Apache before moving on to fly a larger twin.
Example Sentence 2
In the handbook example, the pilot of a Piper Apache (PA-23) used the DECIDE model after noticing an oil pressure drop.