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
N37LF	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Illinois	Standard	2006-09-29	Valid
N5710T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2006-09-27	Valid
N307KM	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2006-09-26	Valid
N8555U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Leaf Sport LLC Henning, Minnesota	Standard	2006-09-22	Valid
N4177F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2006-09-19	Valid
N3745L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Tennessee	Standard	2006-09-14	Valid
N2609L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Havertown Flyers LLC Havertown, Pennsylvania	Standard	2006-09-08	Valid
N2778U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Jersey	Standard	2006-09-08	Valid
N5755A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Blue Sky Flyers INC Joplin, Missouri	Standard	2006-09-08	Valid
N2814L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Stewarts Aircraft Service INC Waynesville, Ohio	Standard	2006-08-31	Valid
N2945U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2006-08-31	Valid
N132RK	Kaweck Ralph D KAWECK MUSTANG II	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Experimental	2006-08-25	Valid
N2836U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2006-08-24	Valid
N7857U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2006-08-18	Valid
N6332E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2006-08-09	Valid
N3923V	Cessna 170	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Idaho	Standard	2006-08-03	Valid
N6836X	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Nelson John D Sonora, California	Standard	2006-08-02	Valid
N8047B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Virginia	Standard	2006-07-26	Valid
N5707R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2006-07-24	Valid
N552RY	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2006-07-20	Valid
N5591T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arizona	Standard	2006-06-29	Valid
N158DM	Cessna 175	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Alaska	Standard	2006-06-22	Valid
N8230L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Bridle Bit Ranch CO Gillette, Wyoming	Standard	2006-06-22	Valid
N7942B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Standard	2006-06-15	Valid
N8212X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2006-06-14	Valid
N713BJ	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2006-06-13	Valid
N1760F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Park Rapids Avionics INC Park Rapids, Minnesota	Standard	2006-06-12	Valid
N1365H	Aeronca 15AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2006-06-05	Valid
N522X	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Skyfest Aviation Investments INC Daytona Beach, Florida	Standard	2006-05-31	Valid
N8334X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2006-05-30	Valid
N2807U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2006-05-25	Valid
N5735R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Davis Richard B Reno, Nevada	Standard	2006-05-12	Valid
N4055F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Ferguson Richard Trustee Canyon Lake, Texas	Standard	2006-05-11	Valid
N5387T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2006-05-11	Valid
N7382A	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2006-05-10	Valid
N4035F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	2006-05-03	Valid
N8621B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nebraska	Standard	2006-05-02	Valid
N5389T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2006-04-26	Valid
N5715A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2006-04-20	Valid
N172VW	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Michigan	Standard	2006-04-14	Valid
N4180C	Maule BEE DEE M-4	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2006-03-31	Valid
N3627L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2006-03-30	Valid
N5607A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Missouri	Standard	2006-03-29	Valid
N5733T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Country Flyin INC Homestead, Florida	Standard	2006-03-23	Valid
N3668L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Maui Skyhawks INC Kula, Hawaii	Multiple	2006-03-21	Valid
N6918A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	2006-03-15	Valid
N8080X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Jersey	Standard	2006-03-14	Valid
N4003F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2006-03-10	Valid
N5678A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2006-02-24	Valid
N2888U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2006-02-17	Valid
N3849R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Alaska	Standard	2006-02-09	Valid
N1673F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Utah	Standard	2006-01-24	Valid
N172AK	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Florida	Standard	2006-01-20	Valid
N3826S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2006-01-19	Valid
N4132F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oklahoma	Standard	2006-01-19	Valid
N8056L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2006-01-19	Valid
N2944U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2006-01-17	Valid
N8995B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kansas	Standard	2006-01-17	Valid
N3754R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Indiana	Standard	2006-01-12	Valid
N7943B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	2006-01-05	Valid
N8930B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2005-12-14	Valid
N1451F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Cloud Busters INC Summertown, Tennessee	Standard	2005-12-01	Valid
N7899U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Missouri	Standard	2005-11-29	Valid
N1683Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2005-11-22	Valid
N6736A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Standard	2005-11-21	Valid
N7655X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Medical Surgical Clinic LLC Fort Scott, Kansas	Standard	2005-11-21	Valid
N4379B	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2005-11-17	Valid
N4358B	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2005-11-14	Valid
N3458D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2005-11-02	Valid
N5110A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2005-11-02	Valid
N5599C	Cessna 170A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2005-10-28	Valid
N8563U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2005-10-14	Valid
N3793L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arkansas	Standard	2005-10-05	Valid
N3979L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Standard	2005-09-20	Valid
N7983X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2005-09-09	Valid
N7667X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New Jersey	Standard	2005-08-25	Valid
N8058B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2005-08-23	Valid
N3897R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2005-08-10	Valid
N7424T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2005-08-04	Valid
N3686S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Burg David J Oroville, California	Standard	2005-07-25	Valid
N2892L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Alaska	Standard	2005-07-20	Valid
N7805T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2005-07-19	Valid
N3973S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Wisconsin	Standard	2005-07-13	Valid
N4316B	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2005-06-29	Valid
N7225A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	2005-06-29	Valid
N8328B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Restricted	2005-06-28	Valid
N5363R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Ohio	Standard	2005-06-21	Valid
N1188F	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2005-05-18	Valid
N3566C	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Colorado	Standard	2005-05-10	Valid
N4073F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2005-05-09	Valid
N101	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2005-05-06	Valid
N2738U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2005-04-29	Valid
N8019L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sleeping Giant Flying Club INC Helena, Montana	Standard	2005-04-26	Valid
N7473X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2005-04-25	Valid
N8666U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2005-04-13	Valid
N4188F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2005-04-12	Valid
N3711F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Mission Aviation Training Academy Arlington, Washington	Standard	2005-04-11	Valid
N4180L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2005-04-11	Valid
N5907R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2005-04-11	Valid
N7463A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2005-03-25	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.