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
N8554U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2014-08-19	Valid
N90076	Bellanca 7GCBC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2014-08-15	Valid
N5380T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Edwards Air LLC Raleigh, North Carolina	Standard	2014-08-14	Valid
N4479L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New Jersey	Standard	2014-08-12	Valid
N7065A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2014-08-12	Valid
N2198Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2014-08-08	Valid
N3904S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2014-08-01	Valid
N2407U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Missouri	Standard	2014-07-31	Valid
N6950A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2014-07-29	Valid
N7731T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Mississippi	Standard	2014-07-28	Valid
N8220X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2014-07-28	Valid
N1143F	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2014-07-23	Valid
N158AE	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2014-07-23	Valid
N2715L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2014-07-22	Valid
N8768U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2014-07-22	Valid
N4359L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New York	Standard	2014-07-21	Valid
N2518Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2014-07-17	Valid
N5463T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2014-07-17	Valid
N8544U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2014-07-16	Valid
N8636U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Mls Holdings Newbury Park, California	Standard	2014-07-10	Valid
N8860B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Straight Tail Flyers LLC Peoria, Illinois	Standard	2014-07-09	Valid
N7216T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Rk Air LLC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2014-07-03	Valid
N4309L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2014-07-02	Valid
N5708A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Egmond Aircraft LLC Lewes, Delaware	Standard	2014-06-30	Valid
N8292U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2014-06-30	Valid
N1168F	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2014-06-26	Valid
N4124F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Wisconsin	Standard	2014-06-24	Valid
N4402L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Mexico	Standard	2014-06-24	Valid
N5559T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2014-06-24	Valid
N7453T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2014-06-24	Valid
N9814T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2014-06-24	Valid
N3277L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2014-06-23	Valid
N6810X	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Idaho Flyers LLC Buhl, Idaho	Standard	2014-06-17	Valid
N701VP	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2014-06-09	Valid
N8487U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Standard	2014-06-06	Valid
N3672L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2014-06-04	Valid
N5723T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	2014-06-04	Valid
N7291A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2014-05-31	Valid
N7325A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oklahoma	Standard	2014-05-28	Valid
N3741R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Abecca CORP Jackson, Michigan	Standard	2014-05-27	Valid
N3733L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2014-05-21	Valid
N1347F	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2014-05-19	Valid
N2478U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner South Dakota	Standard	2014-05-19	Valid
N3615S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Blacqjacq Aviation CO Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2014-05-19	Valid
N8181B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2014-05-19	Valid
N7935B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Idaho	Standard	2014-05-13	Valid
N5689A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Affordable Aircraft LLC Bellevue, Michigan	Standard	2014-05-06	Valid
N5830A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2014-05-05	Valid
N9150B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arizona	Standard	2014-04-30	Valid
N8740B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Oltrogge Construction INC Absarokee, Montana	Standard	2014-04-29	Valid
N4175F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2014-04-28	Valid
N4337L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2014-04-28	Valid
N2517L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2014-04-23	Valid
N8385U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2014-04-23	Valid
N6005A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Michigan	Standard	2014-04-22	Valid
N2400Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2014-04-18	Valid
N3740R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Missouri	Standard	2014-04-17	Valid
N4706T	Maule M-4	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2014-04-16	Valid
N271RE	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Nebraska	Standard	2014-04-11	Valid
N8905B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Alabama	Standard	2014-04-08	Valid
N3085U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New Mexico	Standard	2014-04-07	Valid
N3735S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Hampshire	Standard	2014-04-07	Valid
N7010T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Luft Aviation INC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2014-04-03	Valid
N5417R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2014-04-01	Valid
N3263L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Keller Thomas W Miranda, California	Standard	2014-03-31	Valid
N9874T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2014-03-31	Valid
N3489C	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2014-03-27	Valid
N4196F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2014-03-27	Valid
N7412T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2014-03-26	Valid
N2843U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Flite Five INC Kiowa, Kansas	Standard	2014-03-25	Valid
N1686F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2014-03-24	Valid
N7736U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2014-03-24	Valid
N7829T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2014-03-17	Valid
N8962B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner North Carolina	Standard	2014-03-11	Valid
N5794R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2014-03-07	Valid
N6840A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2014-03-07	Valid
N7215T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2014-03-07	Valid
N9179B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	2014-03-07	Valid
N6480B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2014-03-06	Valid
N6770A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2014-03-05	Valid
N7582X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Dakota	Standard	2014-03-05	Valid
N5249F	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	3 Mad Wives Aviation LLC Claremont, Minnesota	Standard	2014-03-04	Valid
N73TF	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Klanchar Flying LLC Benton, Arkansas	Standard	2014-03-03	Valid
N93PS	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Standard	2014-02-28	Valid
N6935X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2014-02-26	Valid
N1893Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	None on file	2014-02-25	Valid
N6738A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2014-02-21	Valid
N5941R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2014-02-20	Valid
N8140X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2014-02-20	Valid
N3436D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2014-02-18	Valid
N7711U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2014-02-18	Valid
N8138X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2014-02-14	Valid
N2045Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Air Dakota Flite INC Hettinger, North Dakota	Standard	2014-02-13	Valid
N5836A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2014-02-13	Valid
N8139B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Wisconsin	Standard	2014-02-13	Valid
N5553T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Iowa	Standard	2014-02-12	Valid
N4071F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Standard	2014-02-11	Valid
N4730T	Maule M-4	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Minnesota	Standard	2014-02-05	Valid
N2769U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2014-02-04	Valid
N7202T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New York	Standard	2014-02-04	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.