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
N3657L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2015-11-19	Valid
N8135X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2015-11-19	Valid
N5894R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2015-11-18	Valid
N4184L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2015-11-16	Valid
N2463Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Caylin LLC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2015-11-05	Valid
N6847A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Utah	Standard	2015-11-04	Valid
N7963U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2015-10-30	Valid
N9800T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2015-10-29	Valid
N8524B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2015-10-22	Valid
N1394F	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2015-10-20	Valid
N5988A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nevada	Standard	2015-10-14	Valid
N65WB	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2015-10-13	Valid
N2509L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Nebraska	Standard	2015-10-06	Valid
N5307R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2015-10-05	Valid
N8400X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2015-10-05	Valid
N92CC	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Canadian CO Sheriffs Office El Reno, Oklahoma	Standard	2015-10-05	Valid
N5616A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2015-09-28	Valid
N4208L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2015-09-25	Valid
N8834U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hudson Valley Aviation LLC Campbell Hall, New York	Standard	2015-09-17	Valid
N2335D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2015-09-14	Valid
N727KD	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2015-09-11	Valid
N2370D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Ohio	Standard	2015-09-08	Valid
N1707F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Freije Anthony M Anchorage, Alaska	Standard	2015-09-01	Valid
N2129Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Edwards Air LLC Raleigh, North Carolina	Standard	2015-08-28	Valid
N4336B	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2015-08-27	Valid
N8341B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Illinois	Standard	2015-08-26	Valid
N2149Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2015-08-25	Valid
N5629R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sadie Hawk Aviation LLC Collinsville, Connecticut	Standard	2015-08-24	Valid
N6464E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Geerlings Hillside Farms LLC Holland, Michigan	Standard	2015-08-24	Valid
N3652L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Jbm Aviation LLC Mc Leansboro, Illinois	Standard	2015-08-21	Valid
N5349R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Troya Aviation LLC Utica, New York	Standard	2015-08-18	Valid
N72401	Reims CESSNA F172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Coleman Aero Club Apo Ae,	Standard	2015-08-18	Valid
N7520T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Missouri	Standard	2015-08-18	Valid
N7732X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2015-08-17	Valid
N7771B	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2015-08-14	Valid
N7271A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2015-08-13	Valid
N2813L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2015-08-07	Valid
N1339Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2015-08-05	Valid
N3571S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2015-08-05	Valid
N6184E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2015-08-03	Valid
N8250U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2015-08-03	Valid
N5615R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2015-07-29	Valid
N2155Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oklahoma	Standard	2015-07-28	Valid
N3486C	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2015-07-24	Valid
N385CH	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	L H Aviation LLC Clanton, Alabama	Standard	2015-07-24	Valid
N6054R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2015-07-23	Valid
N8036B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2015-07-23	Valid
N5484T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Wings Den LLC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2015-07-22	Valid
N8214U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	N8214U LLC Sheridan, Arkansas	Standard	2015-07-21	Valid
N2064Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2015-07-20	Valid
N6653A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Antanovich Matthew J Bentleyville, Pennsylvania	Standard	2015-07-20	Valid
N1715F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2015-07-15	Valid
N5368R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Biggs Aircraft INC Wellston, Oklahoma	Standard	2015-07-14	Valid
N2490L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2015-07-13	Valid
N7264A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Bridge Creek Logging INC Mount Vernon, Oregon	Standard	2015-07-10	Valid
N8599B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Pruett Mike A Springdale, Arkansas	Standard	2015-07-07	Valid
N7791X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2015-07-06	Valid
N813HY	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Ocala Aviation Services INC Ocala, Florida	Standard	2015-07-06	Valid
N3872L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nevada	Standard	2015-07-02	Valid
N3692S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nevada	Standard	2015-06-29	Valid
N5900A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2015-06-29	Valid
N6339E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Restricted	2015-06-29	Valid
N6451B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oregon	Standard	2015-06-25	Valid
N7829X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Observation CORP Newark, California	Standard	2015-06-24	Valid
N9177B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2015-06-23	Valid
N4239F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2015-06-22	Valid
N3228L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2015-06-16	Valid
N5975R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Ohio	Standard	2015-06-15	Valid
N806JT	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	R&L Aviation LLC Kansas, Oklahoma	Standard	2015-06-11	Valid
N8149X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Blacksword Armoury INC Hawthorne, Florida	Standard	2015-06-09	Valid
N7956X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2015-06-08	Valid
N2809U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2015-06-05	Valid
N7147T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2015-06-05	Valid
N3480C	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2015-06-03	Valid
N7521T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2015-06-01	Valid
N7808T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2015-06-01	Valid
N8370B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2015-05-28	Valid
N7915B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nevada	Standard	2015-05-21	Valid
N6895A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner South Dakota	Standard	2015-05-20	Valid
N8204L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner West Virginia	Standard	2015-05-20	Valid
N7349A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Standard	2015-05-14	Valid
N6405E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2015-05-12	Valid
N7673T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kansas	Standard	2015-05-12	Valid
N4303L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Artic'S Air Academy LLC Palmer, Alaska	Standard	2015-05-07	Valid
N3896L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Mcphillips Flying Service INC Beaver Island, Michigan	Standard	2015-05-06	Valid
N1735D	Cessna 170A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2015-05-05	Valid
N3902S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Gooding Flying Club Gooding, Idaho	Standard	2015-05-04	Valid
N2662L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kentucky	Standard	2015-04-29	Valid
N5630T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Multiple	2015-04-29	Valid
N7692X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2015-04-29	Valid
N7667T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2015-04-23	Valid
N1826Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Utah	Standard	2015-04-22	Valid
N306GW	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	College of Missionary Aviation INC Keystone Heights, Florida	Standard	2015-04-22	Valid
N1489F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Michigan	Standard	2015-04-20	Valid
N7119A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2015-04-20	Valid
N6059A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2015-04-17	Valid
N3523C	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2015-04-16	Valid
N2453Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Noteboom-Hegg LLC Sioux Falls, South Dakota	Standard	2015-04-15	Valid
N8801B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2015-04-15	Valid
N8287X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2015-04-13	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.