Engines · piston (reciprocating) · data as of October 8, 2026

Continental O-300 series

6,623 aircraft on the U.S. register carry a Continental O-300 series engine, rated at about 145 horsepower. The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is the model most often fitted with it (6,073 aircraft). The aircraft carrying it were built between 1949 and 2021.

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 O-300 series. FAA spelling: 0-300 SER.

Fitted to model families

Model families, as a table

	aircraft
Cessna 172 Skyhawk	6,073
Cessna 170	372
Maule M-4	47
Cessna 175 Skylark	41
Globe GC-1 Swift	28
Aeronca 15	8
Temco GC-1	8
Cessna 150	7
Maule BEE DEE M-4	3
Piper PA-18 Super Cub	2
Piper PA-24 Comanche	2
American Champion Aircraft 7 Citabria and Champ	1

Cessna 172 Skyhawk · Cessna 170 · Maule M-4 · Cessna 175 Skylark · Globe GC-1 Swift · Aeronca 15 · Temco GC-1 · Cessna 150 · Maule BEE DEE M-4 · Piper PA-18 Super Cub

Where they are owner's state

Texas622California469Florida340Washington306Alaska267Michigan223Ohio219Georgia202Oregon194North Carolina191

By state, as a table

	aircraft
Texas	622
California	469
Florida	340
Washington	306
Alaska	267
Michigan	223
Ohio	219
Georgia	202
Oregon	194
North Carolina	191

Kind of aircraft

Piston singles6,621 (100%)Piston twins1 (0.0%)Helicopters1 (0.0%)

By kind, as a table

	aircraft	share
Piston singles	6,621	100%
Piston twins	1	0.0%
Helicopters	1	0.0%

When the aircraft were built by decade

By decade built, as a table

	aircraft
1940	62
1950	1,889
1960	3,524
1970	14
1980	3
1990	2
2000	3
2020	1

What the FAA has certified, ordered and been told about the Continental O-300 series the component layer

The design is held under 1 type certificate (E-253, held by Continental Aerospace Technologies, INC.). The FAA has issued 7 airworthiness directives (orders that owners must comply with) that name this engine series. Operators and repair shops have filed 38 failure reports with the FAA since 1995, 5 of them in the last ten years.

FAA orders 7 airworthiness directives · newest first

2023-10-262023-17-04 · Reciprocating Engine Oil System · engine

2022-03-292022-04-04 · Reciprocating Engine Oil System · engine

2012-01-242011-26-07 · Engine · engine

2002-07-122002-13-04 · Magneto impulse coupling stop pin · engine

1996-02-1394-05-05 R1 · Cylinder Rocker · engine

1993-08-1293-10-02 · Missing Cylinder Valve Retainer Key · engine

All orders naming the Continental O-300 series

Failure reports 38 since · what operators and shops told the FAA

Failure reports by year, as a table

	reports
96	1
01	3
02	4
03	10
04	3
05	2
06	2
07	5
08	2
09	1
11	1
12	1
13	1
19	2

Parts most often reported as the reports name them

Baffle4Cylinder3Bulkhead2Connecting Rod2Stringer2Wheel2Adapter1Axle1Battery1Bearing Cage1

Parts most reported, as a table

	reports
Baffle	4
Cylinder	3
Bulkhead	2
Connecting Rod	2
Stringer	2
Wheel	2
Adapter	1
Axle	1
Battery	1
Bearing Cage	1

Latest reports

2019-11-19Line: broken

2019-05-10Cylinder: cracked

2013-02-22Counterweight: loose

2012-07-10Cylinder: cracked

2011-08-08Cylinder: broken

Certificates and bulletins

E-253Type certificate held by Continental Aerospace Technologies, INC. · 8 models listed · revised September 19, 2022

Safety bulletins 3 · advice, not orders

2018-09-10NE-18-27 · POWERPLANT Rocker Shaft Boss Inspection

2016-03-08NE-16-13 · Powerplant - Prohibited use of sealant

2012-10-31NE-13-04 · Continental Motors, Inc. (CMI) Connecting Rod Piston Pin Bushing Inspection

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 172 Skyhawk 6,073 with this engine series
Cessna 170 372 with this engine series
Maule M-4 47 with this engine series
Cessna 175 Skylark 41 with this engine series
Globe GC-1 Swift 28 with this engine series
Aeronca 15 8 with this engine series
Temco GC-1 8 with this engine series
Cessna 150 7 with this engine series

Where they are

Texas 622 of these aircraft
California 469 of these aircraft
Florida 340 of these aircraft
Washington 306 of these aircraft
Alaska 267 of these aircraft

Biggest operators

United States Air Force Owner 10 of these aircraft
Bas Part Sales LLC 9 of these aircraft
Sutton Aircraft Salvage LLC 8 of these aircraft
Dmac Aircraft LLC 8 of these aircraft
United States Air Force 7 of these aircraft

Airworthiness

FAA orders naming the Continental O-300 series 7 airworthiness directives
Failure reports on the Continental O-300 series 38 reports since 1995

Analytics

The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/engine/continental-o-300-series.json.

Aircraft newest certificates first · 6,623

Tail no.	Maker and model	Group	Owner and base	Certificate	Registered	Status
N2415L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	98X LLC Caddo Mills, Texas	Standard	2024-02-20	Valid
N2947D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Alaska	Standard	2024-02-19	Valid
N3748S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Geminiair INC Davis, California	Standard	2024-02-19	Valid
N4094V	Cessna 170	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arizona	Standard	2024-02-19	Valid
N4142L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	2024-02-19	Valid
N5790R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2024-02-19	Valid
N8448X	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Standard	2024-02-19	Valid
N9731T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Idaho	Standard	2024-02-19	Valid
N7423X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sierra Sky Aviation LLC Kalispell, Montana	Standard	2024-02-17	Valid
N1341Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2024-02-15	Valid
N6351E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2024-02-15	Valid
N8729B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2024-02-15	Valid
N172DK	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Vertikle Enterprises LLC Cheyenne, Wyoming	Standard	2024-02-13	Valid
N5072A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2024-02-13	Valid
N7702T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Connecticut	Standard	2024-02-13	Valid
N3516D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	2024-02-09	Valid
N4391L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Ohio	Standard	2024-02-09	Valid
N6235E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2024-02-09	Valid
N2771L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	P&N CORP Marion, Iowa	Standard	2024-02-08	Valid
N2864L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Takle Management LLC Bethany, Oklahoma	Standard	2024-02-08	Valid
N3803S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Reid Aviation LLC Boise, Idaho	Standard	2024-02-08	Valid
N4014F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Maxification LLC Lavonia, Georgia	Standard	2024-02-08	Valid
N5690R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2024-02-08	Valid
N8217X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2024-02-08	Valid
N8317X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Little Air Dream LLC Mooresville, North Carolina	Standard	2024-02-08	Valid
N11KT	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2024-02-07	Valid
N5674T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Perma-Culture INC Dade City, Florida	Standard	2024-02-07	Valid
N8125X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Blue Skies Flying Services LLC Blandon, Pennsylvania	Standard	2024-02-06	Valid
N5185A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Cardan Aircraft Services INC Red Bluff, California	Standard	2024-02-05	Valid
N7772U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Kiger Aviation LLC Corvallis, Oregon	Standard	2024-02-05	Valid
N8255X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2024-02-05	Valid
N8589B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hansen Aviation LLC Savannah, Georgia	Standard	2024-02-03	Valid
N7832U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Fly 32U LLC Monroe, North Carolina	Standard	2024-02-01	Valid
N2506U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2024-01-31	Valid
N8838Z	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	G2G Aviation LLC Wray, Colorado	Standard	2024-01-31	Valid
N5934R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2024-01-30	Valid
N1609Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2024-01-29	Valid
N3531C	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2024-01-29	Valid
N3697L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Shearair LLC Valparaiso, Indiana	Standard	2024-01-29	Valid
N6053A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	2024-01-29	Valid
N6414E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2024-01-29	Valid
N6426E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	V1 Air INC Hibbing, Minnesota	Standard	2024-01-29	Valid
N8555B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Idaho	Standard	2024-01-28	Valid
N5729R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2024-01-27	Valid
N6714A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2024-01-27	Valid
N9153B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2024-01-27	Valid
N7383T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	2024-01-26	Valid
N8284L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2024-01-26	Valid
N7163T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2024-01-25	Valid
N7865T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	N7865T LLC Key West, Florida	Standard	2024-01-25	Valid
N1431F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Air Pirates Flying Club LLC Virginia Beach, Virginia	Standard	2024-01-24	Valid
N2709L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Guideair LLC Eden Prairie, Minnesota	Standard	2024-01-24	Valid
N2097Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2024-01-22	Valid
N3721R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2024-01-22	Valid
N5675R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	N5675R CORP Rochester, New York	Standard	2024-01-22	Valid
N1413Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2024-01-21	Valid
N3646L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Massachusetts	Standard	2024-01-20	Valid
N7894T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2024-01-20	Valid
N8329U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Wisconsin	Standard	2024-01-20	Valid
N8342X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2024-01-20	Valid
N7800T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	North Texas Aeronautics LLC Burleson, Texas	Standard	2024-01-19	Valid
N7944B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2024-01-18	Valid
N5560T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2024-01-17	Valid
N8101L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arkansas	Standard	2024-01-17	Valid
N8281X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2024-01-17	Valid
N8097L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Peters Aero Plus LLC Freeland, Michigan	Standard	2024-01-16	Valid
N4717T	Maule M-4	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2024-01-14	Valid
N2505Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Gauges Green LLC Euless, Texas	Standard	2024-01-13	Valid
N6269E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Standard	2024-01-12	Valid
N7700X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Standard	2024-01-12	Valid
N8469U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Taylor Aviation INC Fort Benton, Montana	Standard	2024-01-12	Valid
N1450Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Nebraska	Standard	2024-01-11	Valid
N2438U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2024-01-11	Valid
N3922S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2024-01-11	Valid
N7087T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Lakelands Flyers LLC Greenwood, South Carolina	Standard	2024-01-11	Valid
N8421U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sky Falcon LLC Syracuse, New York	Multiple	2024-01-11	Valid
N2461U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hansen Aviation LLC Savannah, Georgia	Standard	2024-01-10	Valid
N2484L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Luv2Fly LLC San Antonio, Texas	Standard	2024-01-10	Valid
N3926F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Standard	2024-01-09	Valid
N6940X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Western Aircraft Leasing LLC Tempe, Arizona	Standard	2024-01-09	Valid
N7939B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2024-01-09	Valid
N8109L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Restricted	2024-01-09	Valid
N8078B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Shareair LLC Columbiaville, Michigan	Standard	2024-01-07	Valid
N2582L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2024-01-06	Valid
N7508X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Standard	2024-01-06	Valid
N4478B	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2024-01-05	Valid
N5652A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Patriot Aviation Loomis, California	Standard	2024-01-03	Valid
N80973	Globe GC-1B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nebraska	Standard	2024-01-03	Valid
N8558U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Standard	2024-01-03	Valid
N5475R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2024-01-02	Valid
N5928A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Toribio LLC San Antonio, Texas	Standard	2024-01-02	Valid
N7290A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2024-01-02	Valid
N5720T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2024-01-01	Valid
N5066A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2023-12-31	Valid
N5788T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2023-12-26	Valid
N172RS	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2023-12-24	Valid
N8761U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2023-12-24	Valid
N5407R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Lake Area Technical College Watertown, South Dakota	Standard	2023-12-22	Valid
N6858X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2023-12-22	Valid
N5455T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New Mexico	Standard	2023-12-20	Valid

Source: FAA Civil Aviation Registry, Releasable Aircraft Database (the engine reference table and each aircraft's engine code), October 8, 2026. Horsepower and thrust are the FAA's figures for the series, not for a particular aircraft.