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
N8839U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	1988-11-04	Valid
N4711C	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	N4711C INC Stillwater, Minnesota	Standard	1988-11-02	Valid
N9980A	Cessna 170A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Mexico	Standard	1988-10-18	Valid
N4104V	Cessna 170	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Ohio	Standard	1988-10-11	Valid
N3421D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	1988-10-06	Valid
N5775A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	1988-09-21	Valid
N1520Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Tennessee	Standard	1988-09-20	Valid
N8110L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Minnesota	Standard	1988-09-12	Valid
N2498L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Multiple	1988-08-17	Valid
N7847U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Utah	Standard	1988-07-29	Valid
N1747F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	1988-07-26	Valid
N6912X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	1988-06-07	Valid
N1AX	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Edgerton Agency INC Galena, Ohio	Standard	1988-05-06	Valid
N8348B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	1988-03-30	Valid
N8170U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	1988-01-26	Valid
N8260U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	1988-01-15	Valid
N2845L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	1988-01-14	Valid
N5614T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	1988-01-13	Valid
N5773A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Standard	1988-01-12	Valid
N7722X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	1987-12-08	Valid
N3754L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Connecticut	Standard	1987-12-07	Valid
N3907S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	1987-11-23	Valid
N2859L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1987-11-05	Valid
N2952U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Orr Enterprises INC Hay Springs, Nebraska	Standard	1987-09-29	Valid
N2418U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	1987-09-17	Valid
N3874R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	1987-09-01	Valid
N6453E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	1987-08-27	Valid
N3566S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nevada	Standard	1987-08-11	Valid
N5239F	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	1987-08-11	Valid
N1705F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	1987-07-30	Valid
N2520L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	1987-07-23	Valid
N8974B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	1987-06-19	Valid
N8750U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Henryetta Airman INC Morris, Oklahoma	Standard	1987-04-29	Valid
N6724A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Vermont	Standard	1987-04-23	Valid
N7728U	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	1987-03-13	Valid
N90395	Globe GC-1B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oregon	Standard	1987-03-11	Valid
N8142B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Connecticut	Standard	1987-02-27	Valid
N8320X	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	1987-02-10	Valid
N3664L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	1987-01-21	Valid
N5003A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Standard	1986-12-22	Valid
N8702B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maryland	Standard	1986-12-16	Valid
N7615X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Eagle Flight INC. Fremont, Nebraska	Standard	1986-12-05	Valid
N8130B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	1986-12-02	Valid
N8202U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Budget Flyers Shreveport, Louisiana	Standard	1986-11-21	Valid
N3511C	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	1986-10-03	Valid
N1405Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	1986-09-29	Valid
N1427F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	1986-09-12	Valid
N7734X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	1986-09-12	Valid
N2907U	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	1986-09-10	Valid
N3449D	Cessna 170B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	1986-09-08	Valid
N500BB	Cessna 172D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Standard	1986-07-23	Valid
N6986A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Mississippi	Standard	1986-07-18	Valid
N8416U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	1986-07-11	Valid
N5452R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Standard	1986-06-17	Valid
N3970L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	1986-06-09	Valid
N8781U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Dakota	Standard	1986-05-14	Valid
N7068A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	1986-05-13	Valid
N175E	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner West Virginia	Standard	1986-05-07	Valid
N7388T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	1986-04-30	Valid
N1397Y	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	1986-04-29	Valid
N5868R	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	1986-04-18	Valid
N8677U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	1986-04-16	Valid
N3758S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New Mexico	Standard	1986-02-07	Valid
N6924A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	1986-01-27	Valid
N7289T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	1986-01-09	Valid
N6219E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1985-12-12	Valid
N5626T	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	1985-12-09	Valid
N8873U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	1985-12-04	Valid
N8612B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1985-10-11	Valid
N7922B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	1985-10-08	Valid
N9867T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	1985-09-16	Valid
N7275T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Mississippi	Standard	1985-09-06	Valid
N7668T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wyoming	Standard	1985-09-03	Valid
N8688U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	1985-08-13	Valid
N6398E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	1985-05-25	Valid
N6363E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Vermont	Standard	1985-04-04	Valid
N4729T	Maule M-4	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	1985-04-03	Valid
N8342B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	1985-03-08	Valid
N3658L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	1985-01-07	Valid
N7293T	Cessna 172A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oregon	Standard	1984-12-14	Valid
N3824K	Temco GC-1B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	1984-12-06	Valid
N6915X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	1984-10-15	Valid
N8217L	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	1984-09-11	Valid
N8477U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	1984-08-22	Valid
N1445F	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	1984-08-14	Valid
N8614U	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner North Carolina	Standard	1984-07-13	Valid
N3572S	Cessna 172E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	1984-06-20	Valid
N79F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	1984-04-06	Valid
N8073B	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	1984-03-28	Valid
N4382L	Cessna 172G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Massachusetts	Standard	1984-03-08	Valid
N5215F	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	United States Air Force Rio Vista, California	Standard	1984-02-13	Valid
N7441X	Cessna 172B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	1984-02-13	Valid
N3830R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	1984-01-16	Valid
N6156E	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	1984-01-14	Valid
N3993F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	1983-10-19	Valid
N172MP	Cessna 172C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1983-09-07	Valid
N4960R	Cessna 172H	Fixed-wing, single engine	United States Air Force Owner Cannon Afb, New Mexico	Standard	1983-08-22	Valid
N4261F	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	1983-07-27	Valid
N5410R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arkansas	Standard	1983-06-23	Valid
N6911A	Cessna 172	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	1983-05-25	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.