How many Cessna 140s are registered in the US?

1,581, in the FAA aircraft registry.

When was the Cessna 140 built?

From about 1946 to 1949. Half of those registered today were built by 1946.

What engine does the Cessna 140 have?

Most have the Continental C85 (77% of those registered); others have the Continental C90.

What are common problems with the Cessna 140?

In 4 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were engine (reciprocating), main landing gear strut/axle/truck, nose/tail landing gear attach section, and the part most often reported was a making metal engine.

How many accidents has the Cessna 140 had?

127 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 12 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 140 have?

15 current ADs name the 140 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 140

1,581 registered in the US, built from about 1946 to 1949, 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: 1,581
Built: 1946 to 1949
Half built by: 1946
Seats: 2
Engine type: Piston
Most common engine: Continental C85

Engines installed

Continental C851,211 aircraft (77%) · 4 ADs, 0 with a repeat action
Continental C90268 aircraft (17%) · 5 ADs, 0 with a repeat action

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

Airworthiness Directives

15 current ADs name the 140 airframe, 0 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded. Its engines carry 9 more. 7 equipment ADs name the model.

No current airframe AD mentions a repeat action.

Every AD for the Cessna 140

What gets reported

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

Systems reported most

Engine (Reciprocating)1
Main Landing Gear Strut/Axle/Truck1
Nose/Tail Landing Gear Attach Section1
Engine Mount Section1

Parts reported most

Engine, making metal1
Axle, broken1
Bolt, cracked1
Isolation mount, cracked1

The latest reports

2026-03-25 · Engine (Reciprocating) · Engine, making metal
During the engine overhaul, under the disassembly process, we found a mounted external spin-on oil filter. however, the engine still retained its original internal mesh oil filter. the original filter contained a significant amount of oil sludge, deposits, and metal particles, while the spin-on filter showed no contamination. the conclusion is that the modification performed on this engine was in
2024-08-01 · Engine Mount Section · Isolation mount, cracked
During the replacement of the engine mounts, we found that the torque called out in the maintenance manual (cessna 100- series service manual 1962 and prior para 12-10(b) and page 1-8 for 3/8-24 an310 self locking nut note 2 (160-190 in. lbs)) appears to be excessive and causes the rubber to be squeezed to hard and new engine mount rubber appears to show signs of cracking immediately. lower torqu
2021-02-10 · Nose/Tail Landing Gear Attach Section · Bolt, cracked
Pilot reported tail wheel spring attachment bolt broke at touchdown. this caused the tail to pop up and a loss of directional control. it is unknown of the bolt total time. this is an area that is often overlooked because of the difficultly of inspecting. this area of this make & model has had many issues in the past with leaf springs breaking, smoking rivets and broken bolts.
2016-02-13 · Main Landing Gear Strut/Axle/Truck · Axle, broken
Left axle broken in half on landing causing accident and substantial damage to acft. axle found separated in 2 inbd of inner bearing race location. evidence noted of possible prior damage in area of crack and separation, potentially from prior accident or use of skis for extended period. ntsb lab analysis in process to determine cause of failure.

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

127 accidents since 2008, 12 fatal (18 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 2 aircraft destroyed.

What happened

Loss of control on ground39
Nose over/nose down21
Loss of engine power (total)8
Loss of control in flight8
Fuel starvation6
Hard landing5

Phase of flight

Landing59
Takeoff24
Initial climb13
Enroute9
Approach9

The latest

Date	Where	What happened	Injuries	NTSB number
2026-06-01	Pasco, WA	Landing: Loss of control on ground	Minor	WPR26LA208
2026-05-30	Homestead, FL	Landing: Loss of control on ground	None	ERA26LA318
2026-05-20	Rice lake, WI	Landing: Loss of control on ground	None	CEN26LA193
2026-04-26	Regiã³n de antofagasta, OF	Landing: Nose over/nose down	None	GAA26WA175
2026-02-16	Antigo, WI	Landing: Loss of control on ground	None	CEN26LA121
2025-12-27	Ceres, VA	Enroute: Fuel related	Serious	ERA26LA079

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 140 with the Continental C85: a typical cruise fuel burn and 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 engine (reciprocating) and for making metal engines: they are what gets reported most on this model.
7 equipment ADs name the 140 (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.

The rest of the 140 family

Cessna 140A · 231

Questions

How many Cessna 140s are registered in the US?: 1,581, in the FAA aircraft registry.
When was the Cessna 140 built?: From about 1946 to 1949. Half of those registered today were built by 1946.
What engine does the Cessna 140 have?: Most have the Continental C85 (77% of those registered); others have the Continental C90.
What are common problems with the Cessna 140?: In 4 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were engine (reciprocating), main landing gear strut/axle/truck, nose/tail landing gear attach section, and the part most often reported was a making metal engine.
How many accidents has the Cessna 140 had?: 127 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 12 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 140 have?: 15 current ADs name the 140 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.