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
N8186L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2023-04-01	Valid
N2577L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Utah	Standard	2023-03-31	Valid
N6688A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Standard	2023-03-31	Valid
N9127B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2023-03-31	Valid
N2979D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2023-03-30	Valid
N8588U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Nachio Aviation Services LLC Tucson, Arizona	Standard	2023-03-29	Valid
N2521Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2023-03-28	Valid
N8583U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Illinois	Standard	2023-03-28	Valid
N1604F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2023-03-27	Valid
N1721F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Centerline Flying Club INC Williamstown, New Jersey	Standard	2023-03-27	Valid
N2067Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Florida	Standard	2023-03-27	Valid
N8705B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Montana	Standard	2023-03-27	Valid
N788FT	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	St Louis Flight Training LLC Cahokia, Illinois	Standard	2023-03-26	Valid
N7498T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2023-03-25	Valid
N2937D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2023-03-24	Valid
N8364U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Elite Fleet Jacksonville LLC Jacksonville, Florida	Standard	2023-03-24	Valid
N5590T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2023-03-23	Valid
N5749A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	2023-03-23	Valid
N6000R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2023-03-23	Valid
N8196X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2023-03-23	Valid
N8217B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2023-03-23	Valid
N8467U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Skyhawk Aviators LLC Clayton, Washington	Standard	2023-03-23	Valid
N3900S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2023-03-22	Valid
N4614L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oregon	Standard	2023-03-22	Valid
N8151X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Utah	Multiple	2023-03-21	Valid
N483RJ	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arizona	Standard	2023-03-20	Valid
N7065T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine		Standard	2023-03-20	Valid
N3462D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2023-03-19	Valid
N3526D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2023-03-18	Valid
N3584S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Paul Aviation LLC Wasco, California	Standard	2023-03-18	Valid
N7675X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Multiple	2023-03-18	Valid
N8081A	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2023-03-18	Valid
N3741K	Globe GC-1B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	2023-03-17	Valid
N5867R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2023-03-17	Valid
N8194U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oklahoma	Standard	2023-03-17	Valid
N6318E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2023-03-16	Valid
N6869A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2023-03-16	Valid
N8757U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Lewis County Flying Club Lewistown, Missouri	Standard	2023-03-16	Valid
N2829L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Geaux Fly LLC Bossier City, Louisiana	Standard	2023-03-15	Valid
N555GW	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Jersey	Standard	2023-03-15	Valid
N6296E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Klad-Air LLC Catlett, Virginia	Standard	2023-03-15	Valid
N7127A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Wisconsin	Standard	2023-03-15	Valid
N7598T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arizona	Standard	2023-03-15	Valid
N8145X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	East Carolina Aviation LLC Camden, North Carolina	Standard	2023-03-14	Valid
N8303B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2023-03-14	Valid
N3616S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Artisan Outreach LLC Dunnellon, Florida	Standard	2023-03-13	Valid
N3739R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2023-03-13	Valid
N7275A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Michigan	Standard	2023-03-13	Valid
N8204U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2023-03-12	Valid
N3728F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	316 Aviation LLC Saint Clair Shores, Michigan	Standard	2023-03-11	Valid
N5455R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2023-03-11	Valid
N7562T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2023-03-11	Valid
N7637X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Reddy Investments LLC Contoocook, New Hampshire	Standard	2023-03-11	Valid
N8136U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Moors Thomas G Wentzville, Missouri	Standard	2023-03-11	Valid
N8835Z	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Delaware	Standard	2023-03-11	Valid
N1432F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2023-03-10	Valid
N2458U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Indiana	Standard	2023-03-10	Valid
N4199L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2023-03-10	Valid
N2481D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2023-03-09	Valid
N5944R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2023-03-09	Valid
N6412B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Flight Expo INC Princeton, Minnesota	Standard	2023-03-09	Valid
N7331T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2023-03-09	Valid
N7736X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sutton Aircraft Salvage LLC Palmer, Alaska	Standard	2023-03-09	Valid
N1396Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Standard	2023-03-08	Valid
N5719R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Professional Aviation Aircraft Services LTD New Philadelphia, Ohio	Standard	2023-03-08	Valid
N7638X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Standard	2023-03-08	Valid
N8570B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Pilot Coaches LLC Little Falls, Minnesota	Standard	2023-03-08	Valid
N2700U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Florida	Standard	2023-03-07	Valid
N2954U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Tiger Flight LLC Lake Butler, Florida	Standard	2023-03-07	Valid
N3939S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Dream Big Aviation LLC Mount Juliet, Tennessee	Standard	2023-03-06	Valid
N8673U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2023-03-05	Valid
N5411T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Tioga Land Development LLC Tioga, North Dakota	Standard	2023-03-04	Valid
N7278T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2023-03-04	Valid
N3848R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2023-03-03	Valid
N4618L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2023-03-03	Valid
N1364F	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2023-03-02	Valid
N1790F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2023-03-02	Valid
N3267L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Better Fly INC Litchfield, Illinois	Standard	2023-03-02	Valid
N8065L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Dream Big Aviation LLC Mount Juliet, Tennessee	Standard	2023-03-02	Valid
N2559L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Flying Circus LLC Bridgeport, West Virginia	Standard	2023-03-01	Valid
N5511T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Freedom Aviation LLC Mascoutah, Illinois	Standard	2023-03-01	Valid
N7008T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2023-03-01	Valid
N7214T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2023-03-01	Valid
N7846U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Crisco Millwright Services LLC Lewes, Delaware	Standard	2023-03-01	Valid
N8582B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2023-03-01	Valid
N3903S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	At Aero LLC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2023-02-28	Valid
N4448L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2023-02-28	Valid
N6144E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2023-02-28	Valid
N4380B	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Alaska	Standard	2023-02-27	Valid
N7874U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2023-02-27	Valid
N8184B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Palouse Aviation Holdings LLC Moscow, Idaho	Standard	2023-02-27	Valid
N3804S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2023-02-25	Valid
N7461A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2023-02-25	Valid
N7794X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Quantum Edge Aviation CO Boulder, Colorado	Standard	2023-02-25	Valid
N2159Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Restricted	2023-02-24	Valid
N2800L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2023-02-24	Valid
N7462X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2023-02-24	Valid
N8549B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2023-02-24	Valid
N3239L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Game Composites Flying Club Bentonville, Arkansas	Standard	2023-02-23	Valid
N3774L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2023-02-23	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.