The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Engines · piston (reciprocating) · data as of November 10, 2026

Continental IO-520-M

2 aircraft on the U.S. register carry a Continental IO-520-M engine, rated at about 285 horsepower. The Cessna 310 is the model most often fitted with it (1 aircraft). The aircraft carrying it were built between 1969 and 1975.

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 Continental IO-520-M. FAA spelling: IO-520-M.

Fuel: 100LL avgas.

Fitted to model families

Model families, as a table
aircraft
Cessna 3101
Cessna TP2061

Cessna 310 · Cessna TP206

Where they are owner's state

By state, as a table
aircraft
Virginia1
Alaska1

Kind of aircraft

By kind, as a table
aircraftshare
Piston twins150%
Piston singles150%

When the aircraft were built by decade

By decade built, as a table
aircraft
19601
19701

What the FAA has certified, ordered and been told about the Continental IO-520-M the component layer

The design is held under 1 type certificate (E5CE, held by Continental Aerospace Technologies, INC.). The FAA has issued 30 airworthiness directives (orders that owners must comply with) that name this engine series. Operators and repair shops have filed 187 failure reports with the FAA since 1995, 9 of them in the last ten years.

FAA orders 30 airworthiness directives · newest first

2023-10-262023-17-04 · Reciprocating Engine Oil System · engine
2023-03-152023-05-16 · Reciprocating Engine Power Section · engine
2023-02-232023-04-08 · Reciprocating Engine Power Section · engine
2023-02-172023-02-12 · Engine Air Intake System · engine
2016-09-152016-16-12 · Cylinder assemblies · engine
2014-04-252014-05-29 · SAP replacement parts manufacturer approval (PMA) investment cast cylinder assemblies · engine

All orders naming the Continental IO-520-M

Failure reports 187 since · what operators and shops told the FAA

0816253396010611118
Failure reports by year, as a table
reports
9633
9717
9823
9920
0018
0122
0213
0313
0410
053
061
074
081
091
101
112
132
141
151
181

Parts most often reported as the reports name them

Parts most reported, as a table
reports
Pump16
Bellcrank11
Crankcase8
Wire8
Lifter7
Switch6
Bolt5
Rod End5
Control Cable4
Cylinder4

Latest reports

2018-06-20Gasket: collapsed
2015-01-07Magneto: failed
2014-03-03Injector: dirty
2013-01-23Bulkhead: cracked
2013-01-23Lifter: failed

Approved replacement parts 51 parts manufacturer approvals

Parts a company other than the maker may make for this engine and sell as FAA-approved. The companies holding the most:

Most often: stud (14), magneto (10), harness (8), valve cover (3), ring (3), oil filter (3), coupling (2), spring (1), oil cooler (1), gear (1).

Certificates and bulletins

E5CEType certificate held by Continental Aerospace Technologies, INC. · 18 models listed · revised March 8, 2022

Safety bulletins 11 · advice, not orders

2020-04-06NE-20-05 · POWERPLANT - Engine Camshaft Gear Tooth Fracture
2018-06-20NE-18-16 · POWERPLANT Alternator Drive Coupling
2017-05-10NE-17-11 · POWERPLANT Engine damage as a result of kickback
2016-03-08NE-16-13 · Powerplant - Prohibited use of sealant
2013-02-08NE-13-15 · Engine Controls: Continental Motors, Inc. (CMI) Throttle and Mixture Control Levers

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
Where they are
Airworthiness

The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/engine/continental-io-520-m.json.

Aircraft newest certificates first · 2

Tail no.Maker and modelGroupOwner and baseCertificateRegisteredStatus
N310ND Cessna
310R
Fixed-wing, multi-engine Moroney Aviation LLC
Chugiak, Alaska
Standard 2024-07-16 ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes
N101MT Cessna
TP206E
Fixed-wing, single engine Allman Air LLC
Blackstone, Virginia
Standard 2020-11-23 ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes

Source: FAA Civil Aviation Registry, Releasable Aircraft Database (the engine reference table and each aircraft's engine code), November 10, 2026. Horsepower and thrust are the FAA's figures for the series, not for a particular aircraft.