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
N1478Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2019-04-03	Valid
N5367R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Dakota	Standard	2019-04-02	Valid
N3280L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2019-04-01	Valid
N5721T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Seattle Seaplanes LLC Seattle, Washington	Standard	2019-04-01	Valid
N79DL	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Standard	2019-03-30	Valid
N3800S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Colorado	Standard	2019-03-28	Valid
N6092R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2019-03-28	Valid
N71454	Hart Alan J HATZ CB1	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Experimental	2019-03-26	Valid
N7957X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2019-03-26	Valid
N8795B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	E2 Technologies INC Grand Haven, Michigan	Standard	2019-03-26	Valid
N4600L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2019-03-25	Valid
N1648Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sutton Aircraft Salvage LLC Palmer, Alaska	Standard	2019-03-23	Valid
N3476C	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2019-03-23	Valid
N5491T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Alpha Mike LLC Stoughton, Massachusetts	Standard	2019-03-23	Valid
N3876R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Missouri	Standard	2019-03-22	Valid
N5453R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2019-03-22	Valid
N2424L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arizona	Standard	2019-03-20	Valid
N3946S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2019-03-20	Valid
N2445U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2019-03-16	Valid
N3767S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2019-03-16	Valid
N5909A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2019-03-16	Valid
N2208	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Virginia	Standard	2019-03-15	Valid
N3285L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	2019-03-14	Valid
N14WA	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2019-03-13	Valid
N4462L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2019-03-13	Valid
N5520T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2019-03-13	Valid
N2435L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aero Science International LLC Augusta, Georgia	Standard	2019-03-12	Valid
N4390L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aero Science International LLC Martinez, Georgia	Standard	2019-03-12	Valid
N4595C	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2019-03-12	Valid
N7059E	Cessna 175A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2019-03-12	Valid
N6841X	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Dakota	Standard	2019-03-11	Valid
N9779T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2019-03-11	Valid
N1WS	Universal GLOBE GC-1B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Cj and Sons Aircraft Club Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2019-03-07	Valid
N3547S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Thhm LLC Menomonie, Wisconsin	Standard	2019-03-06	Valid
N3775L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner West Virginia	Standard	2019-03-05	Valid
N4115L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kentucky	Standard	2019-03-05	Valid
N5536R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2019-03-04	Valid
N2603L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2019-03-02	Valid
N38K	Stits Playboy SA3B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Experimental	2019-03-02	Valid
N44200	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Cessna172 LLC Holliday, Texas	Standard	2019-03-02	Valid
N6052A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2019-03-02	Valid
N5906R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2019-03-01	Valid
N6066A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	2019-02-22	Valid
N4403B	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2019-02-21	Valid
N7991B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Lowe Gayle C Sacramento, Kentucky	Standard	2019-02-21	Valid
N8326X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2019-02-14	Valid
N7791T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Vintage Aero Aviation LLC Baldwin Park, California	Standard	2019-02-12	Valid
N6907X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Indiana	Standard	2019-02-05	Valid
N7360T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2019-02-05	Valid
N8301X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2019-02-04	Valid
N1418H	Aeronca 15AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2019-02-02	Valid
N1664Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Vermont	Standard	2019-02-02	Valid
N2137Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Maine	Standard	2019-01-29	Valid
N5267F	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2019-01-29	Valid
N7419T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Intellipix LLC Cambridge, Maryland	Standard	2019-01-28	Valid
N2727U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2019-01-25	Valid
N6004R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Seaplanes R Fun INC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2019-01-25	Valid
N6045A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Utah	Standard	2019-01-23	Valid
N5811R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Great Plains Enterprises LLC Wilmington, Ohio	Standard	2019-01-22	Valid
N797DJ	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	N797Dj LLC Fayetteville, Georgia	Standard	2019-01-18	Valid
N7232A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2019-01-17	Valid
N7508T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2019-01-16	Valid
N3660L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2019-01-15	Valid
N3694S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Jstream Lc Sheridan, Wyoming	Standard	2019-01-15	Valid
N6054A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Utah	Standard	2019-01-15	Valid
N6186E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2019-01-14	Valid
N6452E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sorenson Farms of Montana Forsyth, Montana	Standard	2019-01-14	Valid
N6804X	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Susanville Aviatiors INC Susanville, California	Standard	2019-01-14	Valid
N4342L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2019-01-10	Valid
N7411A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2019-01-10	Valid
N1429F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2019-01-08	Valid
N2054Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2019-01-08	Valid
N6414B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Missouri	Standard	2019-01-08	Valid
N8104B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2019-01-08	Valid
N8313X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2019-01-08	Valid
N8856U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Dakota	Standard	2019-01-08	Valid
N1171B	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2019-01-07	Valid
N7541T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2019-01-07	Valid
N2474D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2019-01-03	Valid
N3776L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2019-01-03	Valid
N5995A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Wisconsin	Standard	2019-01-02	Valid
N99PT	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2019-01-02	Valid
N4111F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2018-12-28	Valid
N7301T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2018-12-28	Valid
N4271F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2018-12-27	Valid
N5696A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Cardinal Wings INC Faribault, Minnesota	Standard	2018-12-26	Valid
N8641U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2018-12-26	Valid
N4013V	Cessna 170	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2018-12-21	Valid
N4727T	Maule M-4	Fixed-wing, single engine	Rimediare Aircraft LLC Tucson, Arizona	Experimental	2018-12-21	Valid
N2720L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2018-12-18	Valid
N317GT	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2018-12-18	Valid
N3573D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Bohl Howard M JR Long Beach, California	Standard	2018-12-14	Valid
N3892S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	State Technical College of Missouri Linn, Missouri	Standard	2018-12-13	Valid
N8169X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Henderson George Fresno, California	Standard	2018-12-12	Valid
N1581Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hampton Industrial Jacksonville Beach, Florida	Standard	2018-12-11	Valid
N5637T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Hampshire	Standard	2018-12-10	Valid
N8175X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	2018-12-07	Valid
N8958B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2018-12-07	Valid
N7218A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Vermont	Standard	2018-12-06	Valid
N5902R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2018-12-04	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.