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
N78315	Globe GC-1B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nebraska	Standard	2001-12-27	Valid
N7263A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hillside Farms Elaine, Arkansas	Standard	2001-12-21	Valid
N3053U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	J & T Aviation LLC Nashua, New Hampshire	Standard	2001-12-11	Valid
N7968B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2001-12-11	Valid
N3832R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2001-11-28	Valid
N7797T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2001-11-13	Valid
N8193X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Marine Outlet INC Temple, Texas	Standard	2001-10-25	Valid
N7522X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wyoming	Standard	2001-10-17	Valid
N8260B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2001-10-15	Valid
N8248L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2001-10-01	Valid
N3620S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2001-09-26	Valid
N7570X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2001-09-26	Valid
N8412U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	8 for 9 LLC Scotia, New York	Standard	2001-09-13	Valid
N7184A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2001-09-10	Valid
N7928B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2001-09-10	Valid
N8538U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2001-09-07	Valid
N3576S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2001-08-31	Valid
N5873A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oklahoma	Standard	2001-08-29	Valid
N3948S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Dakota	Standard	2001-08-21	Valid
N3884S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New Hampshire	Standard	2001-08-17	Valid
N5776T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2001-08-14	Valid
N3516S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Iowa	Standard	2001-08-09	Valid
N8737B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2001-08-08	Valid
N3681L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2001-07-27	Valid
N6883A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Oswego Joint Venture Tchula, Mississippi	Standard	2001-07-25	Valid
N7362A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2001-07-25	Valid
N3927R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	First Flight CORP San Diego, California	Standard	2001-07-16	Valid
N6427E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	N6427E LLC Kilgore, Texas	Standard	2001-07-06	Valid
N2426U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2001-07-05	Valid
N168MS	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2001-06-27	Valid
N365JB	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2001-06-27	Valid
N1724F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2001-06-21	Valid
N6347E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Dakota	Standard	2001-06-21	Valid
N3881S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2001-06-11	Valid
N172KR	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2001-05-31	Valid
N5794A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2001-05-25	Valid
N53B	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2001-05-24	Valid
N757WK	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2001-04-28	Valid
N4147F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wyoming	Standard	2001-04-26	Valid
N2169Y	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2001-04-17	Valid
N5506T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2001-04-12	Valid
N7CW	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2001-04-11	Valid
N8674U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Virginia	Standard	2001-04-10	Valid
N172VL	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Ence Daniel G Saint George, Utah	Standard	2001-04-05	Valid
N9276A	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Brandon Airways LLC Bakersfield, California	Standard	2001-04-04	Valid
N1393Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Missouri	Standard	2001-03-16	Valid
N8264L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Morelock Colleen P Beavercreek, Ohio	Standard	2001-03-06	Valid
N8865B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2001-01-26	Valid
N8706B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	2000-12-01	Valid
N7133T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2000-11-30	Valid
N6634A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2000-11-16	Valid
N7526T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2000-11-08	Valid
N5648T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Yankton Area Aviators INC Crofton, Nebraska	Standard	2000-11-07	Valid
N2423Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2000-10-27	Valid
N1305Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2000-10-24	Valid
N4109L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New York	Standard	2000-09-22	Valid
N3502D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	2000-09-16	Valid
N4453L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2000-09-16	Valid
N8504U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Doug & Holly Harmon INC Fremont, Michigan	Standard	2000-09-15	Valid
N3620L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2000-08-25	Valid
N7772X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Premier Air INC Raceland, Louisiana	Standard	2000-08-24	Valid
N8877U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2000-08-18	Valid
N8828Z	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Nevada	Standard	2000-08-11	Valid
N9858T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2000-08-08	Valid
N2994D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Ancam Lc West Burlington, Iowa	Standard	2000-08-04	Valid
N5166A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2000-07-24	Valid
N1481Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2000-07-17	Valid
N7107A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2000-07-06	Valid
N3585C	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2000-06-30	Valid
N5588T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2000-06-27	Valid
N6664A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2000-06-16	Valid
N5863A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2000-06-08	Valid
N8337X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2000-06-07	Valid
N8352B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Indiana	Standard	2000-06-05	Valid
N1352F	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Dtm Enterprises INC Bronson, Michigan	Standard	2000-06-01	Valid
N6037A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Michigan	Standard	2000-05-25	Valid
N3591C	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2000-05-18	Valid
N8349X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2000-05-17	Valid
N2736L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2000-04-28	Valid
N4264L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2000-04-13	Valid
N3805S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Wenk Mark J Lakewood, Pennsylvania	Standard	2000-03-22	Valid
N6962X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Bradsher Harold M Troy, Missouri	Standard	2000-03-09	Valid
N6704A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2000-03-07	Valid
N146YS	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2000-02-02	Valid
N8184L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nevada	Standard	2000-01-18	Valid
N5674R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2000-01-15	Valid
N7251A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2000-01-12	Valid
N5208F	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	United States Air Force Owner Beale Afb, California	Standard	2000-01-08	Valid
N7900U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kentucky	Standard	2000-01-04	Valid
N4259L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	1999-12-18	Valid
N100WA	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1999-12-14	Valid
N8151U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	1999-12-01	Valid
N5684R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	1999-11-30	Valid
N994NA	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	1999-11-08	Valid
N2600V	Cessna 170	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Dakota	Standard	1999-11-03	Valid
N9820T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	1999-10-27	Valid
N1320H	Aeronca 15AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	1999-10-26	Valid
N371RS	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	1999-10-20	Valid
N7621T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	1999-10-15	Valid
N1348Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Hampshire	Standard	1999-10-12	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.