Continental IO-550-D
36 aircraft on the U.S. register carry a Continental IO-550-D engine, rated at about 300 horsepower. The Cessna A185 Skywagon is the model most often fitted with it (15 aircraft). The aircraft carrying it were built between 1965 and 1984.
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-550-D. FAA spelling: IO-550-D.
Fuel: 100LL avgas.
Fitted to model families
Cessna A185 Skywagon15Cessna 182 Skylane15Cessna 180 Skywagon2Cessna 185 Skywagon1Cessna A1881Cessna U206 Stationair1Charles E Miller DRAGONFLY 1021
Model families, as a table
| aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Cessna A185 Skywagon | 15 |
| Cessna 182 Skylane | 15 |
| Cessna 180 Skywagon | 2 |
| Cessna 185 Skywagon | 1 |
| Cessna A188 | 1 |
| Cessna U206 Stationair | 1 |
| Charles E Miller DRAGONFLY 102 | 1 |
Cessna A185 Skywagon · Cessna 182 Skylane · Cessna 180 Skywagon · Cessna 185 Skywagon · Cessna A188 · Cessna U206 Stationair · Charles E Miller DRAGONFLY 102
Where they are owner's state
What the FAA has certified, ordered and been told about the Continental IO-550-D the component layer
The design is held under 1 type certificate (E3SO, held by Continental Aerospace Technologies, INC.). The FAA has issued 21 airworthiness directives (orders that owners must comply with) that name this engine series. Operators and repair shops have filed 46 failure reports with the FAA since 1995, 3 of them in the last ten years.
FAA orders 21 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
2022-08-152022-16-03 · Engine (RECIPROCATING) · engine
2016-09-152016-16-12 · Cylinder assemblies · engine
Failure reports 46 since · what operators and shops told the FAA
Failure reports by year, as a table
| reports | |
|---|---|
| 97 | 2 |
| 99 | 1 |
| 00 | 2 |
| 01 | 1 |
| 03 | 3 |
| 04 | 2 |
| 05 | 3 |
| 06 | 4 |
| 07 | 1 |
| 08 | 5 |
| 09 | 2 |
| 11 | 1 |
| 12 | 3 |
| 13 | 7 |
| 14 | 1 |
| 15 | 5 |
| 18 | 1 |
| 21 | 1 |
| 26 | 1 |
Parts most often reported as the reports name them
Parts most reported, as a table
| reports | |
|---|---|
| Magneto | 4 |
| Bracket | 2 |
| Bulkhead | 2 |
| Guide | 2 |
| Lifter | 2 |
| Nut | 2 |
| Rib | 2 |
| Battery | 1 |
| Bolt | 1 |
| Camshaft | 1 |
Latest reports
2026-09-15Bolt: unsecure
2021-09-26Exhaust Stack: cracked
2018-10-26Pump: failed
2015-12-07Hydraulic Line: chafed
2015-10-12Motor: failed
Approved replacement parts 74 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:
Superior Air Parts INC 28Ram Aircraft Limited Partnership 9Airmotive Engineering CORP 9Champion Aerospace LLC 5Aero-Classics Heat Transfer Products INC 4Meggitt (Troy) INC (Formerly Stewart Warner South Wind CORP) 3Hartzell Engine Technologies LLC 3Continental Motors INC 3
Most often: stud (8), gasket (8), engine oil (7), bearing (6), harness (4), cylinder stud (4), cylinder power (4), magneto (3), throttle and (2), screw (2).
Certificates and bulletins
E3SOType certificate held by Continental Aerospace Technologies, INC. · 20 models listed · revised April 6, 2020
Safety bulletins 10 · 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
- Cessna A185 Skywagon 15 with this engine series
- Cessna 182 Skylane 15 with this engine series
- Cessna 180 Skywagon 2 with this engine series
- Cessna 185 Skywagon 1 with this engine series
- Cessna A188 1 with this engine series
- Cessna U206 Stationair 1 with this engine series
Where they are
- Kansas 4 of these aircraft
- California 4 of these aircraft
- Oregon 3 of these aircraft
- Wisconsin 2 of these aircraft
- Colorado 2 of these aircraft
Airworthiness
- FAA orders naming the Continental IO-550-D 21 airworthiness directives
- Failure reports on the Continental IO-550-D 46 reports since 1995
Analytics
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/engine/continental-io-550-d.json.
Aircraft newest certificates first · 36
| Tail no. | Maker and model | Group | Owner and base | Certificate | Registered | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N567DG | Cessna 182Q |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Frederick Investment CORP Raleigh, North Carolina |
Standard | 2026-07-06 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N174LS | Cessna A185F |
Fixed-wing, single engine | N174Ls LLC Middlebury, Connecticut |
Standard | 2026-05-13 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N324RH | Cessna 182Q |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Individual owner Massachusetts |
Standard | 2025-08-18 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N707WC | Cessna 180J |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Acp Aviation LLC Oakdale, Louisiana |
Standard | 2025-05-21 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N509PG | Cessna A185F |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Lake Stories LLC Crosslake, Minnesota |
Standard | 2025-04-30 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N1240M | Cessna 182P |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Elk Creek Investments LLC Helena, Montana |
Standard | 2025-04-23 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N79WG | Cessna 182Q |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Individual owner Kansas |
Standard | 2024-12-12 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N185GB | Cessna A185F |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Individual owner Oregon |
Standard | 2024-02-27 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N70097 | Cessna A185E |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Family Air Tours LLC Ketchikan, Alaska |
Restricted | 2024-01-01 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N4711E | Cessna A185F |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Oregon Seaplanes LLC Canby, Oregon |
Standard | 2023-11-30 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N72WE | Cessna A185F |
Fixed-wing, single engine | West Elk Air LLC Gunnison, Colorado |
Standard | 2023-11-20 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N42045 | Cessna 182L |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Individual owner Oregon |
Standard | 2023-10-30 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N181E | Cessna 182Q |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Co-owned owner Nevada |
Standard | 2023-10-12 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N36MJ | Cessna A185F |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Finland Leasing CO INC Quakertown, Pennsylvania |
Standard | 2023-09-28 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N1792R | Cessna A185F |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Echo Matrix LLC Bentonville, Arkansas |
Standard | 2023-09-18 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N5370E | Cessna A185F |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Co-owned owner Idaho |
Standard | 2023-05-09 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N4800Q | Cessna A185F |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Van Bortel INC Victor, New York |
Standard | 2023-04-12 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N8993W | Cessna A185E |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Co-owned owner Texas |
Standard | 2023-03-15 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N11312 | Charles E Miller DRAGONFLY 102 |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Clarity Aviation LLC Anchorage, Alaska |
Experimental | 2022-02-17 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N257JS | Cessna 182Q |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Individual owner California |
Standard | 2021-11-01 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N887WB | Cessna A185F |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Individual owner Utah |
Standard | 2020-09-22 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N20RS | Cessna A185E |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Individual owner Florida |
Standard | 2020-07-02 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N731XG | Cessna A188B |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Individual owner Missouri |
Restricted | 2020-05-08 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N550WP | Cessna 182P |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Individual owner California |
Standard | 2018-12-28 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N1131W | Cessna 182P |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Individual owner California |
Standard | 2018-12-18 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N426MB | Cessna A185F |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Individual owner Wisconsin |
Standard | 2018-12-14 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N96CN | Cessna 182Q |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Individual owner Colorado |
Standard | 2018-11-06 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N13DS | Cessna 182R |
Fixed-wing, single engine | R & M Adventures LLC Wichita, Kansas |
Standard | 2018-09-26 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N260PT | Cessna 182Q |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Co-owned owner Kansas |
Standard | 2017-06-01 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N680H | Cessna 182P |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Individual owner Wisconsin |
Standard | 2016-10-05 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N1318P | Cessna 185D |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Co-owned owner Arizona |
Standard | 2011-04-13 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N5083N | Cessna 182Q |
Fixed-wing, single engine | N5083 LLC San Diego, California |
Standard | 2011-01-25 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N185WP | Cessna A185F |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Arrowhead Holdings INC Wilmington, Delaware |
Restricted | 2010-04-02 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N180AP | Cessna 180H |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Air Plains Services CORP Wellington, Kansas |
Standard | 2003-11-08 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N182VQ | Cessna 182Q |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Dimension Controls INC Burr Ridge, Illinois |
Standard | 1996-11-05 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N9595G | Cessna U206F |
Fixed-wing, single engine | Individual owner New Jersey |
Standard | PendingFAA registration status code R: Registration pending. 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.