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
N2819U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2021-03-13	Valid
N3752S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2021-03-12	Valid
N7903B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2021-03-12	Valid
N6961A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Bontadellis Flying Service Ll Polson, Montana	Standard	2021-03-11	Valid
N7960B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2021-03-11	Valid
N8164L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Bowtie Properties LLC Dadeville, Alabama	Standard	2021-03-11	Valid
N5749R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Massachusetts	Standard	2021-03-10	Valid
N1374F	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2021-03-08	Valid
N7946U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Upper Aircraft International LLC Titusville, Florida	Standard	2021-03-08	Valid
N9114Z	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Dakota	Standard	2021-03-08	Valid
N7296T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arkansas	Standard	2021-03-06	Valid
N162HR	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hk Aviation LLC Conrad, Montana	Standard	2021-03-04	Valid
N4697L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2021-03-04	Valid
N6334E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2021-03-04	Valid
N6920X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2021-03-04	Valid
N7020A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2021-03-04	Valid
N5940R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2021-02-27	Valid
N6273E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2021-02-27	Valid
N7093A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2021-02-27	Valid
N2439L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2021-02-26	Valid
N4443L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Nebraska	Standard	2021-02-26	Valid
N6240E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Dgcg Properties LLC Casa Grande, Arizona	Standard	2021-02-26	Valid
N4311L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Rockin Robin Aviation LLC Natchez, Mississippi	Standard	2021-02-25	Valid
N1482Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2021-02-23	Valid
N1730F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Spragues Aerial Spraying INC Courtenay, North Dakota	Standard	2021-02-23	Valid
N5729T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Conservair INC Montgomery, Texas	Standard	2021-02-23	Valid
N7504X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Milnor Aviation INC Milnor, North Dakota	Standard	2021-02-23	Valid
N4272F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Missouri	Standard	2021-02-22	Valid
N7465X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2021-02-20	Valid
N2481L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-02-19	Valid
N6410E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2021-02-19	Valid
N8034B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Minnesota	Standard	2021-02-19	Valid
N3691S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-02-18	Valid
N7733T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nevada	Standard	2021-02-18	Valid
N8580B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	B&R Aircraft LLC Wadsworth, Ohio	Standard	2021-02-18	Valid
N8890B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	A-G-E CORP Fort Pierre, South Dakota	Standard	2021-02-18	Valid
N1627Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2021-02-16	Valid
N2411U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	2021-02-13	Valid
N2470L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2021-02-13	Valid
N5669R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Georgia	Standard	2021-02-13	Valid
N6091A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2021-02-13	Valid
N8455U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-02-12	Valid
N1690F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	N1690F LLC Bluffton, Indiana	Standard	2021-02-11	Valid
N7897T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2021-02-11	Valid
N5495R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Connecticut	Standard	2021-02-09	Valid
N8943B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2021-02-09	Valid
N3916S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-02-06	Valid
N8000X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2021-02-05	Valid
N7760U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Vermont	Standard	2021-02-04	Valid
N8144B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-02-04	Valid
N6789A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Chris Fuher Flight Instruction LLC DBA Townsend, Montana	Standard	2021-02-03	Valid
N7612T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2021-02-03	Valid
N2932D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Dont Make Things Difficult LLC Downers Grove, Illinois	Standard	2021-02-02	Valid
N5723A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2021-02-02	Valid
N6289E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Maverick Jets LLC Vineburg, California	Standard	2021-02-01	Valid
N7137T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2021-01-27	Valid
N3836S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kansas	Standard	2021-01-26	Valid
N5532R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2021-01-26	Valid
N2536L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Dakota	Standard	2021-01-25	Valid
N4004F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Restricted	2021-01-25	Valid
N4252L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Wisconsin	Standard	2021-01-25	Valid
N5508T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Cashmere Origins LLC Denham Springs, Louisiana	Standard	2021-01-25	Valid
N2564U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Standard	2021-01-23	Valid
N5638R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2021-01-23	Valid
N8091L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2021-01-23	Valid
N7956U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2021-01-22	Valid
N5726T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Minnesota	Standard	2021-01-21	Valid
N4051F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-01-20	Valid
N6017A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Standard	2021-01-20	Valid
N8430X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Dakota	Standard	2021-01-20	Valid
N7279A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Goerger Allan e Barney, North Dakota	Standard	2021-01-19	Valid
N995NA	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2021-01-19	Valid
N4631L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2021-01-15	Valid
N6865E	Cessna 175A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2021-01-14	Valid
N7127T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2021-01-14	Valid
N4010F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oregon	Standard	2021-01-13	Valid
N2485Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Standard	2021-01-12	Valid
N5458R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2021-01-11	Valid
N4493B	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Alaska	Standard	2021-01-09	Valid
N5799T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Gs Air LLC Sioux Falls, South Dakota	Standard	2021-01-07	Valid
N7911B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2021-01-07	Valid
N9745T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2021-01-06	Valid
N2308U	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Utah	Experimental	2021-01-05	Valid
N3917S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	2021-01-05	Valid
N7081T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2021-01-05	Valid
N8211L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2021-01-04	Valid
N5794T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2020-12-31	Valid
N3910L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2020-12-29	Valid
N7792X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Northern Light Aviation LLC North Waterboro, Maine	Standard	2020-12-29	Valid
N2417L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Box Aviation INC Montgomery, Alabama	Standard	2020-12-28	Valid
N8359U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2020-12-28	Valid
N8365B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2020-12-28	Valid
N8150B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Fond of Flying CO Dover, Delaware	Standard	2020-12-22	Valid
N555WB	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Costa Air Service LLC Painted Post, New York	Standard	2020-12-21	Valid
N5474C	Cessna 170A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2020-12-19	Valid
N5562T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2020-12-19	Valid
N1728F	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oregon	Standard	2020-12-18	Valid
N3765R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2020-12-16	Valid
N5441T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2020-12-16	Valid
N6157E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Withheld at owner's request	Standard	2020-12-14	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.