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
N7795T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Jim Air INC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2021-08-16	Valid
N2395U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Colorado	Standard	2021-08-14	Valid
N8575U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Vermillion County Flying Club Danville, Illinois	Standard	2021-08-14	Valid
N6152E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Skyranch Knoxville Youth INC Knoxville, Tennessee	Standard	2021-08-13	Valid
N5841G	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2021-08-11	Valid
N7082T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Idaho	Standard	2021-08-11	Valid
N7485X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2021-08-11	Valid
N8248U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Robison Wm Lee Smithville, Missouri	Standard	2021-08-11	Valid
N105RD	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sunny Slope Aviation LLC Adams, Tennessee	Standard	2021-08-10	Valid
N8277B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2021-08-10	Valid
N1340Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2021-08-09	Valid
N6247E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Multiple	2021-08-09	Valid
N2862U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Standard	2021-08-07	Valid
N7576T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Infinity Builders LLC Parker, Colorado	Standard	2021-08-06	Valid
N2904D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2021-08-05	Valid
N6825A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Hampshire	Standard	2021-08-05	Valid
N7539X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Walnut Valley Aviation LLC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2021-08-05	Valid
N979JF	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Goodspeed Air Service LLC Oxford, Connecticut	Standard	2021-08-05	Valid
N7641X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner West Virginia	Standard	2021-08-04	Valid
N2782L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Southern Seaplane INC Belle Chasse, Louisiana	Standard	2021-08-03	Valid
N2950U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2021-08-02	Valid
N8158L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2021-08-02	Valid
N2516Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2021-07-31	Valid
N34JD	Dixon Joseph L TAILWIND W-10	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hemphill Holdings LLC Hemphill, Texas	Experimental	2021-07-31	Valid
N5113F	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Vtf LLC Winter Haven, Florida	Standard	2021-07-31	Valid
N7123T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Standard	2021-07-31	Valid
N8276B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2021-07-31	Valid
N292DA	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Independence Youth Flying Club INC Independence, Oregon	Standard	2021-07-30	Valid
N2555L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2021-07-29	Valid
N5933A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2021-07-29	Valid
N7155T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	SW Idaho Flying Cooperative LLC Boise, Idaho	Standard	2021-07-29	Valid
N7164T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	T Aviation Services INC Canovanas, Puerto Rico	Standard	2021-07-29	Valid
N190F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2021-07-28	Valid
N7923U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Michigan	Standard	2021-07-28	Valid
N3780F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Mississippi	Standard	2021-07-27	Valid
N3878R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Ss Farms Operating LLC Hydro, Oklahoma	Standard	2021-07-27	Valid
N5593R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2021-07-27	Valid
N2421Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Azflygal LLC Phoenix, Arizona	Standard	2021-07-24	Valid
N6327E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2021-07-24	Valid
N6894A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	SW Aero Training LLC Rio Rancho, New Mexico	Standard	2021-07-24	Valid
N7980B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Mikesell Luke A Fairland, Oklahoma	Standard	2021-07-24	Valid
N4128F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2021-07-23	Valid
N6757A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	N7742E LLC Lewes, Delaware	Standard	2021-07-23	Valid
N8601U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Standard	2021-07-23	Valid
N44RP	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Cook Aviation Services LLC Fargo, North Dakota	Standard	2021-07-22	Valid
N2505L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2021-07-21	Valid
N3565D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Jpn LLC Park City, Montana	Standard	2021-07-21	Valid
N5985A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Rimes Aviation LLC Worthngtn Spg, Florida	Standard	2021-07-21	Valid
N7515X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Snap Aviation LLC Athens, Pennsylvania	Standard	2021-07-21	Valid
N6205E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kansas	Standard	2021-07-20	Valid
N2767L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2021-07-19	Valid
N680JF	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Dunham Transport INC Wannaska, Minnesota	Standard	2021-07-19	Valid
N9747T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2021-07-19	Valid
N7995B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2021-07-14	Valid
N6371E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2021-07-13	Valid
N3643S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Illinois	Standard	2021-07-12	Valid
N4311B	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2021-07-12	Valid
N3647L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Tennessee	Standard	2021-07-10	Valid
N6918X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hackbarth Ryan J Zimmerman, Minnesota	Standard	2021-07-10	Valid
N3867L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2021-07-09	Valid
N2554L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Airheads INC Charles Town, West Virginia	Standard	2021-07-08	Valid
N3522D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2021-07-07	Valid
N7200A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2021-07-01	Valid
N8140U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2021-06-29	Valid
N8670U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Skyhawk Aviation LLC Oskaloosa, Iowa	Standard	2021-06-29	Valid
N2971U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-06-28	Valid
N6407E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	N6407E LLC Hanover, Maryland	Standard	2021-06-28	Valid
N3876S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner West Virginia	Standard	2021-06-26	Valid
N6807A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-06-26	Valid
N1696Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2021-06-25	Valid
N1787F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2021-06-25	Valid
N44P	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nevada	Standard	2021-06-25	Valid
N8166X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2021-06-25	Valid
N3278L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2021-06-24	Valid
N5387R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2021-06-24	Valid
N5604R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2021-06-24	Valid
N7357A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2021-06-24	Valid
N9173B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Superhawk LLC La Center, Washington	Standard	2021-06-24	Valid
N1305F	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Georgia	Standard	2021-06-23	Valid
N7430A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2021-06-23	Valid
N1414F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2021-06-19	Valid
N2489U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-06-16	Valid
N6981X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maryland	Standard	2021-06-16	Valid
N2913D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2021-06-15	Valid
N3915F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-06-15	Valid
N2989U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2021-06-14	Valid
N8001B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2021-06-14	Valid
N8381B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Raymond Kyle INC Eagle, Colorado	Standard	2021-06-14	Valid
N5857A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2021-06-11	Valid
N8318B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Standard	2021-06-11	Valid
N8947B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2021-06-11	Valid
N2598Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-06-10	Valid
N7722U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Beebout Shawn C Milroy, Minnesota	Standard	2021-06-10	Valid
N4222L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Rtd Aviation LLC Hillsborough, New Jersey	Standard	2021-06-09	Valid
N5340T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Standard	2021-06-09	Valid
N172CF	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Nevada	Standard	2021-06-08	Valid
N8024X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2021-06-08	Valid
N6620A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aviation Services of Tn INC Sparta, Tennessee	Standard	2021-06-07	Valid
N8431U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Tennessee	Standard	2021-06-05	Valid
N5913R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Standard	2021-06-04	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.