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
N5611R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2015-04-10	Valid
N7574T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2015-04-10	Valid
N6091T	Cessna 150E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2015-04-09	Valid
N5869A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2015-04-02	Valid
N6071A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2015-04-01	Valid
N8369B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2015-03-30	Valid
N1701	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2015-03-25	Valid
N8581U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	2015-03-25	Valid
N4168L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2015-03-24	Valid
N80949	Globe GC-1B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Standard	2015-03-17	Valid
N1133F	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2015-03-09	Valid
N3556D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Jersey	Standard	2015-03-09	Valid
N8888U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2015-03-05	Valid
N8403U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New Mexico	Standard	2015-03-02	Valid
N8113L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	N8113L LLC Auburn, Indiana	Standard	2015-02-25	Valid
N12015	Maule M-4	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Montana	Standard	2015-02-24	Valid
N8204X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2015-02-19	Valid
N6603A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2015-02-10	Valid
N9808T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Virginia	Standard	2015-02-09	Valid
N6095R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2015-02-06	Valid
N8739U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	2015-02-05	Valid
N8219U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2015-01-30	Valid
N4290F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	2015-01-28	Valid
N7297A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Utah	Standard	2015-01-27	Valid
N2182Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2015-01-23	Valid
N8876B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Beryl Aviation LLC Omaha, Nebraska	Standard	2015-01-23	Valid
N3806R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2015-01-22	Valid
N7261A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2015-01-21	Valid
N1774F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Barnstormers Aero Services INC Lompoc, California	Standard	2015-01-20	Valid
N6906X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Montana	Standard	2015-01-16	Valid
N7111T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Virginia	Standard	2015-01-16	Valid
N7270T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2015-01-14	Valid
N9824T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Idaho	Standard	2015-01-09	Valid
N1613F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2015-01-08	Valid
N4062F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Charlotte Air Services Charlotte, Michigan	Standard	2015-01-08	Valid
N505F	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2015-01-08	Valid
N5920A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	20 Awesome LLC Albuquerque, New Mexico	Standard	2015-01-07	Valid
N7602T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	2015-01-07	Valid
N2511V	Cessna 170	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sutton Aircraft Salvage LLC Palmer, Alaska	Standard	2015-01-06	Valid
N7910U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2014-12-31	Valid
N6759A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Mississippi	Standard	2014-12-30	Valid
N6029R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Utah	Standard	2014-12-22	Valid
N107PS	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Ladies In Aviation LLC Mocksville, North Carolina	Standard	2014-12-18	Valid
N1494F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Thompson Kevin L Jefferson, Texas	Standard	2014-12-09	Valid
N6009R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Cape Aerial Tours DBA Chatham, Massachusetts	Standard	2014-12-09	Valid
N6607A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2014-12-09	Valid
N8019B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Colonial Air INC New Bedford, Massachusetts	Standard	2014-12-05	Valid
N2710U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Cape Aerial Tours DBA Chatham, Massachusetts	Standard	2014-12-02	Valid
N1625Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2014-12-01	Valid
N7543T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Standard	2014-11-25	Valid
N2545Y	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	California Aviation Services INC Riverside, California	Standard	2014-11-24	Valid
N5645R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Vermont	Standard	2014-11-24	Valid
N7339A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2014-11-24	Valid
N6016R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2014-11-18	Valid
N6766A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2014-11-13	Valid
N7195M	Cessna 175	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2014-11-10	Valid
N2516L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2014-11-03	Valid
N5658A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Ewartsville Flyers LLC Pullman, Washington	Standard	2014-11-03	Valid
N3942L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Original Design Ministries Eatonville, Washington	Standard	2014-10-29	Valid
N3931L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2014-10-28	Valid
N8095B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Ohio	Standard	2014-10-28	Valid
N4293L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2014-10-24	Valid
N3864L	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2014-10-23	Valid
N7759U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2014-10-23	Valid
N7416T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Michigan	Standard	2014-10-22	Valid
N2753L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Mccartney Matthew T Lake Tapps, Washington	Standard	2014-10-21	Valid
N4080F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2014-10-20	Valid
N2431L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner District of Columbia	Standard	2014-10-17	Valid
N4063F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2014-10-16	Valid
N3705L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Red Five Aviation LLC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2014-10-15	Valid
N2839U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Hampshire	Standard	2014-10-09	Valid
N7149T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Rb Associates North Bend, Oregon	Standard	2014-10-09	Valid
N2426Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Shamrock Flying Club INC Millersville, Pennsylvania	Standard	2014-10-08	Valid
N1409D	Cessna 170A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2014-10-01	Valid
N3833S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Dakota	Standard	2014-09-30	Valid
N3936L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2014-09-30	Valid
N8311B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2014-09-30	Valid
N8176X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Alaska	Standard	2014-09-29	Valid
N2906U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2014-09-26	Valid
N2455Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aircrafters French Valley INC Winchester, California	Standard	2014-09-24	Valid
N3773S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2014-09-24	Valid
N5171A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Infinity Metalworks INC Newton, Kansas	Standard	2014-09-24	Valid
N2601L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2014-09-23	Valid
N5344R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Dakota	Standard	2014-09-22	Valid
N8775B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2014-09-18	Valid
N3034U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New Mexico	Standard	2014-09-16	Valid
N6256E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Ohio	Standard	2014-09-16	Valid
N3492C	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2014-09-15	Valid
N8644U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2014-09-15	Valid
N94CA	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Standard	2014-09-12	Valid
N7223T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2014-09-08	Valid
N7619X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2014-09-08	Valid
N2638L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2014-09-03	Valid
N2648U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2014-08-27	Valid
N50000	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2014-08-27	Valid
N8156X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2014-08-27	Valid
N7713T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oregon	Standard	2014-08-26	Valid
N3738L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2014-08-22	Valid
N3649L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2014-08-19	Valid
N8227U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2014-08-19	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.