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
N3802L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2005-03-23	Valid
N8205U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Dby Flights LLC Pennock, Minnesota	Standard	2005-03-23	Valid
N8178L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2005-03-10	Valid
N3212L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Blackstone Rotorcraft INC Hartselle, Alabama	Standard	2005-03-07	Valid
N2640U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2005-03-03	Valid
N5867A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2005-02-23	Valid
N8289U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2005-02-14	Valid
N2688U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2005-02-01	Valid
N8522U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hebbronville Machine Shop LLP Hebbronville, Texas	Standard	2005-01-28	Valid
N3567S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2005-01-25	Valid
N1615F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2005-01-21	Valid
N2990U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Shiny Pigeon LLC Fort Worth, Texas	Standard	2005-01-13	Valid
N5731R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2005-01-12	Valid
N8604U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2005-01-10	Valid
N2489L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	California Aviation Services INC Riverside, California	Standard	2004-12-22	Valid
N2501U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2004-12-22	Valid
N3001U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Prairie Flyers Rocky Ford, Colorado	Standard	2004-12-20	Valid
N8364B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2004-12-16	Valid
N5131A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arizona	Standard	2004-12-08	Valid
N2027Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner West Virginia	Standard	2004-12-07	Valid
N8247U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2004-12-07	Valid
N3625L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Standard	2004-12-02	Valid
N2538Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2004-11-29	Valid
N8361B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2004-11-29	Valid
N9801M	Maule M-4T	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2004-11-24	Valid
N465Q	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2004-11-18	Valid
N4235F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2004-11-17	Valid
N30DB	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2004-11-05	Valid
N5605R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kansas	Standard	2004-10-22	Valid
N8223U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Chapter 36 Flying Club INC Hagerstown, Maryland	Standard	2004-10-19	Valid
N7757T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2004-10-15	Valid
N5683R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New Hampshire	Standard	2004-10-12	Valid
N3413D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2004-10-06	Valid
N6025A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Cullen Aviation LLC Lafayette, Louisiana	Standard	2004-09-29	Valid
N5547T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2004-09-27	Valid
N8802U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maryland	Standard	2004-09-24	Valid
N4188L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hlr Aviation LLC Swan Lake, New York	Standard	2004-09-23	Valid
N811L	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2004-09-21	Valid
N8942B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Bishops Sky Cam LLC Jonesburg, Missouri	Standard	2004-09-15	Valid
N5077A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2004-09-14	Valid
N3925S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2004-09-07	Valid
N8104U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2004-09-02	Valid
N8171B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2004-09-02	Valid
N8275B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oregon	Standard	2004-09-01	Valid
N3549S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kansas	Standard	2004-08-28	Valid
N5078A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2004-08-28	Valid
N7052T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2004-08-19	Valid
N6942E	Cessna 175A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2004-08-18	Valid
N2921D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2004-08-17	Valid
N3482D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2004-08-16	Valid
N3823R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Electra-Vision Advertising CORP Claremont, California	Standard	2004-08-16	Valid
N7044A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2004-08-12	Valid
N2092Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2004-07-23	Valid
N7610T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2004-07-07	Valid
N4310B	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2004-07-06	Valid
N8729U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2004-07-01	Valid
N6631A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Missouri	Standard	2004-06-30	Valid
N1345Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Flying Horse LLC Missoula, Montana	Standard	2004-06-23	Valid
N1374Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kansas	Standard	2004-06-21	Valid
N2348D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Northern Aviation LLC Palmer, Alaska	Standard	2004-05-26	Valid
N3385K	Globe GC-1B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2004-05-25	Valid
N3680S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2004-05-25	Valid
N3250L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nebraska	Standard	2004-05-24	Valid
N318SC	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2004-05-18	Valid
N3496D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2004-05-14	Valid
N7809U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	High Planes Aviation LLC Waseca, Minnesota	Standard	2004-05-10	Valid
N418BD	Hallack Daniel Edwin SUPREME CUB	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Experimental	2004-05-07	Valid
N1439F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Missouri	Standard	2004-05-05	Valid
N9729T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2004-05-04	Valid
N4671L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2004-04-22	Valid
N7498A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2004-04-16	Valid
N5089A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2004-04-06	Valid
N4116L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2004-04-05	Valid
N2576Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2004-03-31	Valid
N5662A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2004-03-24	Valid
N3479D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2004-03-04	Valid
N5305R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Hampshire	Standard	2004-02-25	Valid
N6878X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2004-02-23	Valid
N8409X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Jersey	Standard	2004-02-20	Valid
N9126A	Cessna 170A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2004-02-11	Valid
N1339F	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Mississippi	Standard	2004-02-02	Valid
N8828B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Hampshire	Standard	2004-01-26	Valid
N8084X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nebraska	Standard	2004-01-23	Valid
N2059Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Hawaii	Standard	2003-11-25	Valid
N1312Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Pierce Larry Jay Brigham City, Utah	Standard	2003-11-24	Valid
N2625U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Hampshire	Standard	2003-11-24	Valid
N3968F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2003-11-24	Valid
N7620X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Withheld at owner's request	Standard	2003-11-22	Valid
N7758T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Minnesota	Standard	2003-11-13	Valid
N5713T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2003-11-08	Valid
N8399X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2003-10-30	Valid
N7212A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2003-10-21	Valid
N3709R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2003-10-08	Valid
N8246B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2003-10-08	Valid
N5628A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2003-09-23	Valid
N3752R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kansas	Standard	2003-09-10	Valid
N678K	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2003-09-09	Valid
N1366F	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2003-09-08	Valid
N2985U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Connersville Flying Club INC Connersville, Indiana	Standard	2003-09-05	Valid
N8607U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aero Dynamics Flying Club INC Beavercreek, Oregon	Standard	2003-08-29	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.