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
N7438A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2014-02-04	Valid
N1125F	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aeropark LLC Michigan City, Indiana	Standard	2014-02-03	Valid
N3965S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oregon	Standard	2014-02-03	Valid
N7145T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Minnesota	Standard	2014-01-31	Valid
N2649U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2014-01-28	Valid
N4127L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Holdt Farms INC Elgin, Nebraska	Standard	2014-01-27	Valid
N9706T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	2014-01-24	Valid
N371LM	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2014-01-22	Valid
N7425X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Jersey	Standard	2014-01-21	Valid
N7355A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	2014-01-16	Valid
N8970B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2014-01-14	Valid
N1327Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hangar 20 Flying Club LLC Climax, Michigan	Standard	2014-01-13	Valid
N5041A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Michigan	Standard	2014-01-13	Valid
N7753T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2014-01-13	Valid
N3789S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2014-01-10	Valid
N6840X	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Desertshot INC El Paso, Texas	Standard	2014-01-08	Valid
N7831X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2014-01-08	Valid
N8187B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2014-01-08	Valid
N2881L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2014-01-06	Valid
N522TS	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Tennessee	Standard	2014-01-02	Valid
N5548R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2013-12-31	Valid
N364SR	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-12-30	Valid
N8397B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2013-12-23	Valid
N7307A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2013-12-17	Valid
N8317A	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2013-12-17	Valid
N3907F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2013-12-12	Valid
N8068L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2013-12-10	Valid
N7659T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Illinois	Standard	2013-12-09	Valid
N1552Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-12-05	Valid
N3830S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Win Win Aviation INC Wake Forest, North Carolina	Standard	2013-12-04	Valid
N7349T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2013-12-03	Valid
N9187A	Cessna 170A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Mexico	Standard	2013-11-25	Valid
N8384X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2013-11-22	Valid
N4233L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Tulsa Technology Center School District No 18 Tulsa, Oklahoma	Standard	2013-11-21	Valid
N7009T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Virginia	Standard	2013-11-21	Valid
N5660R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Spirit Hills Ranch LLC Belgrade, Montana	Standard	2013-11-20	Valid
N8153L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Tr Air LLC Kenton, Ohio	Standard	2013-11-20	Valid
N9196B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-11-15	Valid
N5793R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2013-11-14	Valid
N6401E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2013-11-08	Valid
N8098L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Maine	Standard	2013-11-07	Valid
N4129L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2013-11-06	Valid
N8723U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Training Services INC T/A Virginia Beach, Virginia	Standard	2013-11-05	Valid
N3992S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Zero Dark Thirty LLC Winder, Georgia	Standard	2013-11-04	Valid
N5578R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2013-11-01	Valid
N7973U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2013-11-01	Valid
N7012T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	L L B Ranch LTD Del Rio, Texas	Standard	2013-10-29	Valid
N3707R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2013-10-24	Valid
N7912U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sweet Breeze Aviation LLC Gordonsville, Virginia	Standard	2013-10-24	Valid
N3245L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Gift Academy INC Vernon, Texas	Standard	2013-10-22	Valid
N7391T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2013-10-21	Valid
N8505U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2013-10-21	Valid
N6197E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Al-Bert Consulting INC Lakeland, Florida	Standard	2013-10-17	Valid
N2702U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Louisiana	Standard	2013-09-20	Valid
N7940B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oklahoma	Standard	2013-09-12	Valid
N7841T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2013-09-04	Valid
N4220F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2013-09-03	Valid
N9863T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wyoming	Standard	2013-08-30	Valid
N1873Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2013-08-27	Valid
N5268F	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Vincennes University Indianapolis, Indiana	Standard	2013-08-27	Valid
N18108	Cessna 170	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	2013-08-26	Valid
N8351X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sky Rangers INC Stockton, California	Standard	2013-08-23	Valid
N12017	Maule M-4	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2013-08-21	Valid
N172KC	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Standard	2013-08-21	Valid
N3954S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2013-08-21	Valid
N3944R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Standard	2013-08-13	Valid
N4086F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2013-08-13	Valid
N5116A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2013-08-09	Valid
N3467D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	North Lake Air LLC Lindstrom, Minnesota	Standard	2013-08-02	Valid
N172GL	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kentucky	Standard	2013-07-31	Valid
N172LR	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2013-07-31	Valid
N8238U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2013-07-30	Valid
N4972R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	United States Air Force Apo, AP	Standard	2013-07-25	Valid
N6056R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Mission Aviation Training Academy Arlington, Washington	Standard	2013-07-25	Valid
N7200T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Yavitch Barry e Palmdale, California	Standard	2013-07-25	Valid
N4611L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Nutsch.Com LLC Independence, Oregon	Standard	2013-07-23	Valid
N6086A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2013-07-23	Valid
N6881X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-07-23	Valid
N1491Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Bullard Thomas Eugene Trustee Midlothian, Texas	Standard	2013-07-22	Valid
N2374B	Temco GC-1B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner West Virginia	Standard	2013-07-16	Valid
N7509T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2013-07-15	Valid
N7114T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner South Dakota	Standard	2013-07-12	Valid
N7731U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	MD Aviation INC Sioux Falls, South Dakota	Standard	2013-07-12	Valid
N3909L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2013-07-11	Valid
N8088L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2013-07-10	Valid
N8174B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2013-07-03	Valid
N5764A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-06-25	Valid
N7005T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner North Carolina	Standard	2013-06-21	Valid
N8125U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2013-06-19	Valid
N9816M	Maule M-4	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2013-06-13	Valid
N1636F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2013-06-10	Valid
N1437F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2013-05-31	Valid
N8819U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2013-05-30	Valid
N2446Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2013-05-24	Valid
N4162F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-05-24	Valid
N5738R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2013-05-22	Valid
N8937B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Florida	Standard	2013-05-15	Valid
N2679L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2013-05-14	Valid
N2784U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2013-05-08	Valid
N9877T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2013-05-08	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.