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
N9113B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	1991-11-27	Valid
N8050L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	1991-11-22	Valid
N5598R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1991-11-19	Valid
N8858U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Alaska	Standard	1991-11-19	Valid
N1435Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Illinois	Standard	1991-11-15	Valid
N2812L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arkansas	Standard	1991-11-13	Valid
N3766L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	1991-11-05	Valid
N8529B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Mississippi	Standard	1991-09-25	Valid
N2806U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Massachusetts	Standard	1991-09-13	Valid
N7714X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	1991-09-05	Valid
N5319T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner West Virginia	Standard	1991-08-29	Valid
N7364A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	1991-08-22	Valid
N7440X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Watonwan Flyers INC Saint James, Minnesota	Standard	1991-08-22	Valid
N5489R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	1991-08-14	Valid
N1621F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	1991-08-10	Valid
N9155A	Cessna 170A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	1991-08-05	Valid
N3745R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Idaho	Standard	1991-07-11	Valid
N5429R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	1991-06-19	Valid
N8251X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	1991-06-18	Valid
N8312U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	1991-05-30	Valid
N7847X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1991-05-28	Valid
N1858Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	1991-05-09	Valid
N6068A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	1991-04-30	Valid
N7351A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Landis Aviation INC Valdosta, Georgia	Standard	1991-04-09	Valid
N6973A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Dakota	Standard	1991-04-02	Valid
N9846M	Maule M-4S	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Vermont	Standard	1991-03-26	Valid
N5161A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1991-02-25	Valid
N7782X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	1991-02-14	Valid
N5888R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oregon	Standard	1991-02-13	Valid
N8617U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1991-02-09	Valid
N3064U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	1991-01-26	Valid
N1824C	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Multiple	1991-01-19	Valid
N4158F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner North Dakota	Standard	1991-01-16	Valid
N6863A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oregon	Standard	1991-01-09	Valid
N4117L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner West Virginia	Standard	1990-12-26	Valid
N1486Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	1990-12-04	Valid
N6081R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Indiana	Standard	1990-11-27	Valid
N2965U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	1990-11-23	Valid
N3582S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	1990-11-05	Valid
N7673X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	1990-10-24	Valid
N2306B	Temco GC-1B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Experimental	1990-09-20	Valid
N80966	Globe GC-1B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	1990-09-20	Valid
N18RD	Dever ZENITH	Fixed-wing, single engine	Withheld at owner's request	Experimental	1990-09-04	Valid
N5612R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oregon	Standard	1990-08-14	Valid
N6627A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1990-07-30	Valid
N2001Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	1990-07-26	Valid
N8017L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	1990-07-17	Valid
N3560C	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Illinois	Standard	1990-07-09	Valid
N1376F	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Illinois	Standard	1990-06-26	Valid
N3561C	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	1990-06-26	Valid
N9156N	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Massachusetts	Standard	1990-06-22	Valid
N1GJ	Curtiss D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Owls Head Transportation Museum Owls Head, Maine	Experimental	1990-06-18	Valid
N8123B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	1990-05-31	Valid
N1285Y	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	1990-04-16	Valid
N3824L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	1990-04-12	Valid
N7059T	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	1990-03-28	Valid
N5632T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	1990-03-12	Valid
N7775T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	1990-03-12	Valid
N3810S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	1990-02-28	Valid
N7375T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maryland	Standard	1990-02-22	Valid
N7967B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1990-02-20	Valid
N7865U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	1990-02-12	Valid
N3786R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	1990-02-02	Valid
N8741B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Phoenix Air INC Orland Park, Illinois	Standard	1990-01-22	Valid
N5442R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	1989-11-29	Valid
N5334T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oklahoma	Standard	1989-11-21	Valid
N1198F	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1989-11-06	Valid
N2173Y	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Lowe Body and Glass INC Asheboro, North Carolina	Standard	1989-11-02	Valid
N2768L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Vermont	Standard	1989-11-01	Valid
N3661S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	1989-10-06	Valid
N5772A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	1989-08-31	Valid
N8014B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	1989-08-28	Valid
N2836L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	1989-08-17	Valid
N7798U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	1989-08-16	Valid
N3134B	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	1989-07-28	Valid
N2601U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	K D Helicopters INC Shingleton, Michigan	Standard	1989-07-20	Valid
N1745F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	1989-07-19	Valid
N5895A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maryland	Standard	1989-07-17	Valid
N8366U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hob Aero INC Freeland, Michigan	Standard	1989-06-29	Valid
N8748B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	1989-06-16	Valid
N5126F	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	1989-06-07	Valid
N8439X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	1989-06-07	Valid
N7872U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	1989-05-30	Valid
N1331F	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	1989-05-26	Valid
N3859R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Wisconsin	Standard	1989-05-12	Valid
N7875X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	1989-05-09	Valid
N7399T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Landrover LTD Hills, Minnesota	Standard	1989-05-08	Valid
N5050A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	1989-04-28	Valid
N7014A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	1989-04-27	Valid
N2672U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	1989-03-31	Valid
N1727F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Dakota	Standard	1989-03-03	Valid
N1857Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Dakota	Standard	1989-03-02	Valid
N5785R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	1989-03-02	Valid
N2920U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	1989-03-01	Valid
N5115F	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sunrise Equipment CO Canton, Ohio	Standard	1989-02-22	Valid
N6449E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	1989-01-30	Valid
N5645A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	All Seasons Catering INC Shelter Isl, New York	Standard	1989-01-19	Valid
N7463X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1989-01-12	Valid
N7482X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Iowa	Standard	1989-01-05	Valid
N8447X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	1988-11-07	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.