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
N7876T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2022-04-30	Valid
N6278E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	J K Sparks INC Lutz, Florida	Standard	2022-04-29	Valid
N8079L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hurricane Joaquin LLC Umatilla, Florida	Standard	2022-04-29	Valid
N8306B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Coopsair LLC Saint Petersburg, Florida	Standard	2022-04-29	Valid
N2855L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Paris Flight Training LLC Powderly, Texas	Standard	2022-04-28	Valid
N4125L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2022-04-26	Valid
N6614A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2022-04-22	Valid
N5710R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2022-04-20	Valid
N1634D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Blackhawk Aviation LLC Medicine Park, Oklahoma	Standard	2022-04-19	Valid
N7353T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Flyit LLC Camas, Washington	Standard	2022-04-19	Valid
N8321B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Skyhawk18 LLC Opa Locka, Florida	Standard	2022-04-19	Valid
N8546B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2022-04-19	Valid
N209LJ	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Cat Agri Aviation INC Walnut Ridge, Arkansas	Standard	2022-04-12	Valid
N3739F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2022-04-11	Valid
N6163M	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	N6163M LLC Eugene, Oregon	Standard	2022-04-11	Valid
N6659A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2022-04-09	Valid
N7248A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2022-04-09	Valid
N2801U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Dallas Flying Associates INC Dallas, Texas	Standard	2022-04-07	Valid
N3658S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	2022-04-07	Valid
N2628U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2022-04-06	Valid
N6076R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Advanced Targeting Solutions LLC Perkasie, Pennsylvania	Standard	2022-04-06	Valid
N8350X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Mississippi	Standard	2022-04-06	Valid
N8787B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hedgers Thomas W Lino Lakes, Minnesota	Standard	2022-04-06	Valid
N1627F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Jrm Equipment LLC San Francisco, California	Standard	2022-04-05	Valid
N9780T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2022-04-02	Valid
N5731T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Uhen Instruments INC Burlington, Wisconsin	Standard	2022-04-01	Valid
N7864X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arizona	Standard	2022-03-31	Valid
N8063A	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2022-03-31	Valid
N8323X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oregon	Standard	2022-03-31	Valid
N1663F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sixtree Foxy Blue LLC Renton, Washington	Standard	2022-03-30	Valid
N7615T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	N Maple LLC Kalispell, Montana	Standard	2022-03-30	Valid
N4191L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2022-03-28	Valid
N6176E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Bullit Enterprises LTD Wshngtn Ct Hs, Ohio	Standard	2022-03-28	Valid
N1129M	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Techair LLC Playa Vista, California	Standard	2022-03-26	Valid
N4401L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Warbelows Air Ventures Fairbanks, Alaska	Standard	2022-03-25	Valid
N8283X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2022-03-25	Valid
N1484Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2022-03-24	Valid
N1845Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2022-03-24	Valid
N8458X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Colorado	Standard	2022-03-24	Valid
N2729U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Denair INC Canandaigua, New York	Standard	2022-03-23	Valid
N6221E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2022-03-22	Valid
N8098X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2022-03-21	Valid
N8338U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Schnell Brothers Aviation LLC Kalispell, Montana	Standard	2022-03-19	Valid
N336DD	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2022-03-16	Valid
N5930A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Missouri	Standard	2022-03-16	Valid
N8107L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2022-03-16	Valid
N8508U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2022-03-15	Valid
N8452U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2022-03-14	Valid
N7812T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2022-03-12	Valid
N7334T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2022-03-11	Valid
N1608Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Kohr Daniel e Bartlett, Tennessee	Standard	2022-03-10	Valid
N3724L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2022-03-10	Valid
N3907V	Cessna 170	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Iowa	Standard	2022-03-10	Valid
N7787U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2022-03-08	Valid
N18HR	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	J & R Aviation LLC Hamilton, Ohio	Standard	2022-03-07	Valid
N3099U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2022-03-07	Valid
N5847A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Standard	2022-03-05	Valid
N4991B	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2022-03-04	Valid
N7051T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2022-03-04	Valid
N6609A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2022-03-01	Valid
N1441F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2022-02-28	Valid
N8130U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Wade Air LLC Clanton, Alabama	Standard	2022-02-26	Valid
N8264B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kansas	Standard	2022-02-25	Valid
N1166F	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	2022-02-24	Valid
N2869L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2022-02-24	Valid
N4215F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Boss Brothers Aviation LLC Buffalo, Missouri	Standard	2022-02-24	Valid
N488WM	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2022-02-23	Valid
N1506Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2022-02-19	Valid
N7688X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Mexico	Standard	2022-02-19	Valid
N8671B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Maryland	Standard	2022-02-19	Valid
N1682Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2022-02-18	Valid
N127K	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Florida	Standard	2022-02-17	Valid
N8360X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Jk Sparks INC Lutz, Florida	Standard	2022-02-17	Valid
N1529Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2022-02-16	Valid
N5478R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Norcal Flight Center LLC Lincoln, California	Standard	2022-02-16	Valid
N7785U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Two Farmers LLC Dumas, Arkansas	Standard	2022-02-14	Valid
N8278U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2022-02-14	Valid
N5627A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2022-02-11	Valid
N5424T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2022-02-10	Valid
N7007M	Cessna 175	Fixed-wing, single engine	Double 07 Mike Flyers INC Kalispell, Montana	Standard	2022-02-08	Valid
N2444B	Temco GC-1B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wyoming	Standard	2022-02-05	Valid
N6460E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2022-02-05	Valid
N7994U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2022-02-04	Valid
N3500S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2022-02-03	Valid
N3678S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Connecticut	Standard	2022-02-03	Valid
N9180Z	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Key West Bandit Squadron LLC Summerland Key, Florida	Standard	2022-02-03	Valid
N4405L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Nebraska	Standard	2022-02-02	Valid
N3764S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2022-02-01	Valid
N6355E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2022-02-01	Valid
N8245A	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Adriatic Holdings LLC Cheyenne, Wyoming	Standard	2022-02-01	Valid
N8286L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner West Virginia	Standard	2022-02-01	Valid
N5812R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2022-01-29	Valid
N7019T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2022-01-29	Valid
N8192B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Connecticut	Standard	2022-01-29	Valid
N9710T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Wisconsin	Standard	2022-01-29	Valid
N3274L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hk Ventures LLC Paynesville, Minnesota	Standard	2022-01-28	Valid
N8249U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2022-01-26	Valid
N5952A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2022-01-25	Valid
N8380B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2022-01-25	Valid
N8413X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Pilot Pros INC Miami, Florida	Standard	2022-01-25	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.