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
N80649	Globe GC-1B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Red Arrow Aviation LLC Santa Teresa, New Mexico	Standard	2023-12-20	Valid
N4323L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	2023-12-19	Valid
N7607T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2023-12-19	Valid
N12009	Maule M-4	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2023-12-18	Valid
N4226L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Louisiana	Standard	2023-12-18	Valid
N5514R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Eaa Chapter 1606 INC Monticello, Utah	Standard	2023-12-18	Valid
N5846A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2023-12-18	Valid
N7907U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Florida	Standard	2023-12-18	Valid
N1369F	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Houdelife Aviation LLC Bixby, Oklahoma	Standard	2023-12-17	Valid
N1671Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Minnesota	Standard	2023-12-16	Valid
N4204L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Marquis Kim R Poplar Bluff, Missouri	Standard	2023-12-16	Valid
N5513R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Eagle Eye Flight Services LLC Buffalo, Minnesota	Standard	2023-12-16	Valid
N6843X	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	2023-12-16	Valid
N6979X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2023-12-16	Valid
N6465B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Dakota	Standard	2023-12-15	Valid
N6829X	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Zeegers Jozef Bellingham, Washington	Standard	2023-12-15	Valid
N241NY	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Colonial Aviation LLC N Prince George, Virginia	Standard	2023-12-14	Valid
N2466U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Nebraska	Standard	2023-12-14	Valid
N7596X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2023-12-12	Valid
N8180L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2023-12-12	Valid
N2374U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2023-12-11	Valid
N8164T	Cessna 175B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2023-12-11	Valid
N9810T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Hampshire	Standard	2023-12-11	Valid
N8899B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2023-12-10	Valid
N1755F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Summit Aviation LLC Belton, South Carolina	Standard	2023-12-09	Valid
N2731U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Multiple	2023-12-09	Valid
N5809R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	J L S Agency LLC Starkville, Mississippi	Standard	2023-12-09	Valid
N7379T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2023-12-09	Valid
N77FW	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2023-12-09	Valid
N8165U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2023-12-09	Valid
N2713U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aeronetica LLC Tulsa, Oklahoma	Standard	2023-12-08	Valid
N8216B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	2023-12-07	Valid
N8821U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Euros Aircraft Leasing LLC College Station, Texas	Standard	2023-12-07	Valid
N1424F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	2023-12-06	Valid
N6934X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Lunar Aviation Services LLC Owasso, Oklahoma	Standard	2023-12-06	Valid
N2535Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2023-12-05	Valid
N2738L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2023-12-05	Valid
N5360R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2023-12-04	Valid
N4102F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2023-12-03	Valid
N6053R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Restricted	2023-12-02	Valid
N7519X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Southern Moulding Acquisition LLC Marietta, Georgia	Standard	2023-12-02	Valid
N8285X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Minnesota	Standard	2023-12-02	Valid
N3628L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2023-12-01	Valid
N8843B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2023-12-01	Valid
N2747L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2023-11-30	Valid
N3732S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Mexico	Standard	2023-11-30	Valid
N8074X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	2023-11-30	Valid
N8672U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Echo Tango LLC Milledgeville, Georgia	Standard	2023-11-29	Valid
N1574Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Blue Hawk LLC Rogers, Minnesota	Standard	2023-11-28	Valid
N7648T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Dakota	Standard	2023-11-27	Valid
N4416L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2023-11-25	Valid
N4619L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Grey Eagle Photography LLC Battle Ground, Washington	Standard	2023-11-25	Valid
N5088A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2023-11-25	Valid
N5478T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2023-11-25	Valid
N5452T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Eagle Sky Patrol INC Deadwood, South Dakota	Standard	2023-11-24	Valid
N5903A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2023-11-21	Valid
N3237L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Keith Investments LLC Verona, Mississippi	Standard	2023-11-20	Valid
N6006R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Ppb Aviation Management INC Wading River, New York	Standard	2023-11-20	Valid
N7241A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2023-11-20	Valid
N172PM	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	98X LLC Caddo Mills, Texas	Standard	2023-11-19	Valid
N3631L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2023-11-19	Valid
N2451L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sky K INC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2023-11-18	Valid
N7124T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Alaska	Standard	2023-11-17	Valid
N2479U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	2479U Aviation LLC Fernandina Beach, Florida	Standard	2023-11-15	Valid
N5323T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2023-11-15	Valid
N5409T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2023-11-15	Valid
N5829A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2023-11-15	Valid
N1341F	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2023-11-12	Valid
N4658L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arkansas	Standard	2023-11-12	Valid
N6729A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2023-11-12	Valid
N2847L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Mexico	Standard	2023-11-11	Valid
N4110L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Neu Aviation LLC Benton, Louisiana	Standard	2023-11-11	Valid
N5464T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	2023-11-11	Valid
N5654T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2023-11-11	Valid
N6752A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2023-11-11	Valid
N6896A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2023-11-11	Valid
N2722L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Multiple	2023-11-10	Valid
N5580R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	N5580R LLC Summerville, South Carolina	Standard	2023-11-10	Valid
N7820X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	2023-11-10	Valid
N9812T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Bucks Flight Academy LLC Cashion, Oklahoma	Standard	2023-11-10	Valid
N2530L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oregon	Standard	2023-11-08	Valid
N3827R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Seaplanes R Fun INC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2023-11-08	Valid
N5935R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Indiana	Standard	2023-11-08	Valid
N6203E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2023-11-08	Valid
N7475X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Standard	2023-11-08	Valid
N1732F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2023-11-07	Valid
N4344B	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Montana	Standard	2023-11-07	Valid
N5659A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Wisconsin	Standard	2023-11-05	Valid
N7258A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Nguyen Anthony V Keyser, West Virginia	Standard	2023-11-05	Valid
N8352U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2023-11-04	Valid
N16F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New Mexico	Standard	2023-11-02	Valid
N4218F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2023-11-02	Valid
N7740X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oregon	Standard	2023-11-02	Valid
N8053L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2023-11-02	Valid
N8896B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2023-11-02	Valid
N189W	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2023-11-01	Valid
N6335E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	2023-11-01	Valid
N8197B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2023-11-01	Valid
N6952A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Big Sky Adventures LLC Nicholasville, Kentucky	Standard	2023-10-31	Valid
N7153T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Utah	Standard	2023-10-31	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.