How many Cessna 120s are registered in the US?

652, in the FAA aircraft registry.

When was the Cessna 120 built?

From about 1946 to 1956. Half of those registered today were built by 1946.

What engine does the Cessna 120 have?

Most have the Continental C85 (91% of those registered); others have the Continental C90.

What are common problems with the Cessna 120?

In 97 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were emergency lighting, passenger/crew doors, fuselage structure (general), and the part most often reported was a none none.

How many accidents has the Cessna 120 had?

53 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 3 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of control on ground. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.

How many Airworthiness Directives does the Cessna 120 have?

14 current ADs name the 120 airframe, 0 of them with a repeat action, and 9 more name its engines. Whether each applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number and installed equipment.

Ownership guide

Cessna 120

652 registered in the US, built from about 1946 to 1956, 2 seats, most with the Continental C85. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.

The fleet

Registered in the US: 652
Built: 1946 to 1956
Half built by: 1946
Seats: 2
Engine type: Piston
Most common engine: Continental C85

Engines installed

Continental C85596 aircraft (91%) · 4 ADs, 0 with a repeat action
Continental C9020 aircraft (3%) · 5 ADs, 0 with a repeat action

From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.

Airworthiness Directives

14 current ADs name the 120 airframe, 0 with a repeat action; 1 more were superseded. Its engines carry 9 more. 8 equipment ADs name the model.

No current airframe AD mentions a repeat action.

Every AD for the Cessna 120

What gets reported

97 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.

Systems reported most

Emergency Lighting34
Passenger/Crew Doors18
Fuselage Structure (General)6
Landing Gear System4
Air Conditioning System3
Wing Structure2

Parts reported most

None, none46
None, defective10
Battery pack, defective3
Battery pack, abnormal2
None, corroded2
None, failed2

The latest reports

2022-09-27 · Emergency Lighting · Battery pack, defective
Cabin emerg light: emergency lighting overhead light seat 7 and path lighting under seat 5 and seat 8 are out. // signoff// troubleshot to bad battery pack#3 removed and installed customer supplied repaired battery pack.op's check good ref ce680a amm 33-50-06
2022-09-27 · Emergency Lighting · Battery pack, abnormal
Emer lights off amber cas: on preflight seat 3 floor and overhead emergency lights inop with on and armed position as well as right wing ice light. lights all worked under ships battery power. // signoff// removed inop slighting battery pack and installed repaired battery', pack. performed ops check. ops check good. no emer lights off amber cas when e-light switch is placed on and in arm position,
2022-09-26 · Emergency Lighting · None, none
Emerg light switch: with batteries connnected and batt switches off, emer lights were not operational with the emer lts switch in the arm position. // signoff// arrived at aircraft & verified crew discrepancy. performed battery charging procedure iaw tc-flt-33-1001, during the charging procedure the fwd lights illuminated, indicating the g switch was tripped. gained access to the g switch & reset
2022-09-26 · Emergency Lighting · None, defective
Floor emerg exit light: left forward emergency path way lighting is inop // signoff// removed and replaced the left forward position 1 and left forward position 2 emergency pathway light assembles iaw ce 560xl amm 33-50-04

From the FAA's Service Difficulty Reporting System, refreshed monthly. Counts of what was reported, not failure rates: most of general aviation reports voluntarily, and a busy training fleet reports more than a private one.

Accident record

53 accidents since 2008, 3 fatal (5 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 3 aircraft destroyed.

What happened

Loss of control on ground17
Loss of engine power (partial)5
Collision during takeoff/land4
Runway excursion4
Nose over/nose down4
Loss of engine power (total)3

Phase of flight

Landing24
Takeoff12
Initial climb6
Enroute4
Approach3

The latest

Date	Where	What happened	Injuries	NTSB number
2026-09-23	Llano, TX	Landing: Loss of control on ground	None	CEN26LA323
2026-02-20	Kneeland, CA	Landing: Loss of control on ground	None	WPR26LA106
2025-08-24	Taylor, AZ	Enroute: Off-field or emergency landing	None	WPR25LA265
2025-02-28	Arcadia, FL	Landing: Loss of control on ground	None	ERA25LA140
2024-04-21	Talkeetna, AK	Takeoff: Powerplant sys/comp failure	None	ANC24LA025
2023-01-25	Eagle river, WI	Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land	None	CEN23LA098

From the NTSB's aviation accident database, refreshed monthly; accidents only, homebuilts left out. Counts, not rates: nobody publishes how many hours each model flies, and a training fleet flies far more than a private one. Look up any case by its number in the NTSB's CAROL.

What it costs to run

Per hour flown

Hours flown a yearhr/yrFuel burngal/hrTypical cruise; your POH and how you fly decide it.Fuel price$/galEngine overhaul$A quote from an engine shop.Hours to overhaulhrThe engine maker's published time between overhauls.Maintenance reserve$/hrEverything else that wears: tires, brakes, avionics, the unexpected.

Per year, flown or not

Insurance$/yrHangar or tiedown$/yrAnnual inspection$/yrLoan payments$/yrEverything else$/yrSubscriptions, database updates, the property tax some states charge.

Fuel: $0/hr
Engine reserve: $0/hr
A year: $0
All in, per hour: $0/hr

Filled in for a Cessna 120 with the Continental C85: the engine maker's published overhaul time. Everything else is yours to fill in: insurance, hangar and overhaul prices vary too much by pilot, airport and shop for a default to mean anything. Nothing you type leaves this page.

Before you buy one

Run its N-number through the AD check: every AD that names its airframe and engine, as a checklist to take to the logbooks.
For each repeat-action AD, find the last compliance in the logbooks and when the next one is due.
Compare the engine's time since overhaul with its maker's published overhaul time, and look for the reason behind any long gap in flying.
Ask the mechanic doing the pre-buy to look hard at the emergency lighting and for none nones: they are what gets reported most on this model.
8 equipment ADs name the 120 (a muffler, a seat belt, a display): find out which of that equipment is installed.
Check the registration, the airworthiness certificate and the date of the last annual inspection.
Work out the sales or use tax your state will charge with the aircraft tax calculator.

Questions

How many Cessna 120s are registered in the US?: 652, in the FAA aircraft registry.
When was the Cessna 120 built?: From about 1946 to 1956. Half of those registered today were built by 1946.
What engine does the Cessna 120 have?: Most have the Continental C85 (91% of those registered); others have the Continental C90.
What are common problems with the Cessna 120?: In 97 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were emergency lighting, passenger/crew doors, fuselage structure (general), and the part most often reported was a none none.
How many accidents has the Cessna 120 had?: 53 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 3 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of control on ground. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
How many Airworthiness Directives does the Cessna 120 have?: 14 current ADs name the 120 airframe, 0 of them with a repeat action, and 9 more name its engines. Whether each applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number and installed equipment.

Figures from the FAA aircraft registry and the FAA's Airworthiness Directives, rebuilt daily. An AD listed for a model is one to read; whether it applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number, equipment and records.