Engines · piston (reciprocating) · data as of October 9, 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
N7689T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Iowa	Standard	2013-05-06	Valid
N5886R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nebraska	Standard	2013-05-02	Valid
N6146E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2013-04-25	Valid
N3035U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2013-04-24	Valid
N5849A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-04-24	Valid
N8196L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2013-04-23	Valid
N3928L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-04-10	Valid
N9728A	Cessna 170A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2013-04-09	Valid
N3749T	Thiessen Jerome L. WITTMAN TAILWIND	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Experimental	2013-04-08	Valid
N5550T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Cirrus Five LLC Merritt, North Carolina	Standard	2013-04-04	Valid
N2528Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2013-04-03	Valid
N4473L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Mississippi	Standard	2013-03-27	Valid
N5862A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2013-03-20	Valid
N3598C	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	N3598C LLC Ellisville, Missouri	Standard	2013-03-18	Valid
N7136T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Missouri	Standard	2013-03-15	Valid
N8436U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Clinton Aviation CORP Clinton, Arkansas	Standard	2013-03-12	Valid
N3025U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2013-03-11	Valid
N8027X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2013-03-08	Valid
N8642B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Commercial National Flooring INC New Carlisle, Ohio	Standard	2013-03-07	Valid
N890PG	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Cp Air LLC Indianapolis, Indiana	Standard	2013-03-06	Valid
N8680U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2013-03-04	Valid
N2637U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2013-03-01	Valid
N2785U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	N2785U LLC Hilton, New York	Standard	2013-03-01	Valid
N6261E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2013-03-01	Valid
N2795U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-02-26	Valid
N9076A	Cessna 170A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2013-02-21	Valid
N6927A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2013-02-19	Valid
N2852L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hardin County Aviation LLC Kountze, Texas	Standard	2013-02-15	Valid
N7833T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-02-14	Valid
N8654U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2013-02-14	Valid
N476DT	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2013-02-07	Valid
N8387U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Withheld at owner's request	Standard	2013-02-07	Valid
N3897S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2013-02-06	Valid
N723LC	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-02-05	Valid
N9116B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	S Dacy Enterprises INC Harvard, Illinois	Standard	2013-01-30	Valid
N254NY	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2013-01-29	Valid
N3984S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2013-01-28	Valid
N6836A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oklahoma	Standard	2013-01-25	Valid
N2075Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Wyoming	Standard	2013-01-24	Valid
N2795L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2013-01-24	Valid
N2877U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Melin James Livingston, Montana	Standard	2013-01-24	Valid
N5386R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2013-01-24	Valid
N8429U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2013-01-24	Valid
N8013L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-01-22	Valid
N3909S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner South Carolina	Standard	2013-01-18	Valid
N5866R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2013-01-18	Valid
N5178F	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-01-15	Valid
N8638U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	2013-01-15	Valid
N1434Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sky Hawk Partners LLC Lugoff, South Carolina	Standard	2013-01-14	Valid
N3063U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Little Bird Airways LLC Hamburg, New York	Standard	2013-01-11	Valid
N7455T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Utah	Standard	2013-01-10	Valid
N2566Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Ans Aircraft LLC Midland, Texas	Standard	2013-01-09	Valid
N8581X	Cessna P172D	Fixed-wing, single engine		Standard	2013-01-02	Valid
N3537D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Gross Thomas e Mooresville, North Carolina	Standard	2012-12-19	Valid
N9797T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2012-12-19	Valid
N5392T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2012-12-17	Valid
N5971A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Restricted	2012-12-13	Valid
N6019A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Montana	Standard	2012-12-13	Valid
N7908B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Francis James e King City, California	Standard	2012-12-11	Valid
N727ZG	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Nelson Poultry Farms INC Manhattan, Kansas	Standard	2012-12-07	Valid
N5319R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2012-12-04	Valid
N3958L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	N3958L LLC Honolulu, Hawaii	Standard	2012-12-03	Valid
N2999D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Withheld at owner's request	Standard	2012-11-16	Valid
N4114L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner North Dakota	Standard	2012-11-08	Valid
N2838L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	A-R-M Aircraft Leasing LLC Williamsburg, Virginia	Standard	2012-11-07	Valid
N7802X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Multiple	2012-11-07	Valid
N7967X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2012-11-07	Valid
N2523D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2012-10-30	Valid
N8247B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arizona	Standard	2012-10-30	Valid
N8216U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Nebraska	Standard	2012-10-25	Valid
N2177Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2012-10-24	Valid
N4484L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Mifflintown Airport Aero Club INC Loysville, Pennsylvania	Standard	2012-10-17	Valid
N5345T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Georgia	Standard	2012-10-11	Valid
N3954F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2012-10-10	Valid
N5467R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2012-10-10	Valid
N4433B	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aircraft Partner N4433B Dst Berlin,	Standard	2012-10-09	Valid
N5367T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Julian Farm LLC Hudson Oaks, Texas	Standard	2012-10-04	Valid
N57MW	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2012-10-04	Valid
N6761T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2012-10-01	Valid
N5533T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Minnesota	Standard	2012-09-24	Valid
N6902X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Rhode Island	Standard	2012-09-21	Valid
N2823U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2012-09-18	Valid
N1120D	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2012-09-17	Valid
N8406U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2012-09-11	Valid
N3784R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2012-09-10	Valid
N8966B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Southern Air Services INC Conway, Arkansas	Standard	2012-09-07	Valid
N2484U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Massachusetts	Standard	2012-08-29	Valid
N2509U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2012-08-29	Valid
N3240L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2012-08-27	Valid
N7494D	Piper PA-18A 150	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Multiple	2012-08-23	Valid
N8289L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Hampshire	Standard	2012-08-23	Valid
N3568S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2012-08-21	Valid
N3772S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Three Strands LLC Colorado Springs, Colorado	Standard	2012-08-20	Valid
N1446Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2012-08-16	Valid
N3747L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	N3747L LLC Sonora, California	Standard	2012-08-13	Valid
N5987A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2012-08-08	Valid
N278BD	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2012-08-07	Valid
N7069T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hovey Terry W Rogue River, Oregon	Standard	2012-08-07	Valid
N8883B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Minnesota	Standard	2012-08-01	Valid
N3848L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Harrod Group INC Ellaville, Georgia	Restricted	2012-07-31	Valid

Source: FAA Civil Aviation Registry, Releasable Aircraft Database (the engine reference table and each aircraft's engine code), October 9, 2026. Horsepower and thrust are the FAA's figures for the series, not for a particular aircraft.