How many Cessna 150Ks are registered in the US?

300, in the FAA aircraft registry.

When was the Cessna 150K built?

From about 1969 to 1970. Half of those registered today were built by 1969.

What engine does the Cessna 150K have?

Most have the Continental O-200 (96% of those registered).

What are common problems with the Cessna 150K?

In 3 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were fuel boost pump, emergency equipment, main landing gear attach section, and the part most often reported was a contaminated carburetor.

How many accidents has the Cessna 150K had?

8 in the NTSB's database since 2009, 2 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 150K have?

25 current ADs name the 150K airframe, 1 of them with a repeat action, and 8 more name its engines. Whether each applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number and installed equipment.

Ownership guide

Cessna 150K

300 registered in the US, built from about 1969 to 1970, 2 seats, most with the Continental O-200. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.

The fleet

Registered in the US: 300
Built: 1969 to 1970
Half built by: 1969
Seats: 2
Engine type: Piston
Most common engine: Continental O-200

Engines installed

Continental O-200288 aircraft (96%) · 8 ADs, 0 with a repeat action

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

Airworthiness Directives

25 current ADs name the 150K airframe, 1 with a repeat action; 4 more were superseded. Its engines carry 8 more. 6 equipment ADs name the model.

The ones that come back

ADs with a repeat action: an inspection or replacement at an interval, for as long as the AD applies. These are the airworthiness costs an owner keeps paying.

2011-10-09Requires retaining all of the actions from the previous AD and adding steps to the inspection procedures in the previous ADStandard practices structures · AirplaneSupersedes 87-20-03 R2Repeat actionMay 13, 2011

Every AD for the Cessna 150K

What gets reported

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

Systems reported most

Fuel Boost Pump1
Emergency Equipment1
Main Landing Gear Attach Section1

Parts reported most

Carburetor, contaminated1
Safety wire, damaged1
Stiffener, corroded1

The latest reports

2018-10-27 · Main Landing Gear Attach Section · Stiffener, corroded
Part number 0411899-1, stiffener assembly landing gear bulkhead, found to have significant corrosion of lower section under main landing gear. discovered during the annual inspection when what appeared to be a defect of attaching part 0411903-1, angle - lower outboard lt, was observed. further inspection found that lower section of pn 0411899-1 was corroded completely away. due to lack of support,
2018-01-08 · Emergency Equipment · Safety wire, damaged
When cleaning up the accessory case found that the safety wire that secures the oil pump bolts pn 22537 was worn through on all 4 bolts. removed the safety wire with my fingers. the wire was worn where it entered the holes in the bolt heads. there does not appear to be any chamfer in these safety wire holes. the engine has only 341 hours since overhaul.
2017-02-12 · Fuel Boost Pump · Carburetor, contaminated
After takeoff at approximately 200-250 feet agl the engine power decreased and subsequently would not go above idle. aircraft made an emergency landing safely past the end of the runway in a grassy area. troubleshooting revealed carburetor to be contaminated with a jelly type substance. carburetor was replaced and all engine performance checks were found to be good.

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

8 accidents since 2009, 2 fatal (3 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 0 aircraft destroyed.

What happened

Loss of control on ground3
Wrong surface or wrong airport1
VFR encounter with IMC1
Fuel starvation1
Loss of engine power (total)1
Loss of control in flight1

Phase of flight

Landing4
Approach2
Initial climb1
Enroute1

The latest

Date	Where	What happened	Injuries	NTSB number
2026-01-25	Anchorage, AK	Landing: Wrong surface or wrong airport	None	ANC26LA011
2023-09-30	Gilford, NH	Approach: VFR encounter with IMC	Fatal	ERA23FA384
2023-09-17	South saint paul, MN	Landing: Loss of control on ground	None	CEN23LA420
2023-09-06	Huntsville, TX	Initial climb: Fuel starvation	Fatal	CEN23FA401
2020-12-21	Peyton, CO	Landing: Loss of control on ground	None	CEN21LA099
2013-06-10	Morrilton, AR	Landing: Loss of control on ground	Minor	CEN13LA342

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 150K with the Continental O-200: 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 (1 on the airframe), 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 fuel boost pump and for contaminated carburetors: they are what gets reported most on this model.
6 equipment ADs name the 150K (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 150 family

Cessna 150L · 1,418 Cessna 150M · 1,408 Cessna 150F · 1,035 Cessna 150G · 953 Cessna 150H · 735 Cessna 150J · 642 Cessna 150 · 373 Cessna 150E · 293 Cessna 150D · 257 Cessna 150C · 163 Cessna 150A · 121 Cessna 150B · 110

Questions

How many Cessna 150Ks are registered in the US?: 300, in the FAA aircraft registry.
When was the Cessna 150K built?: From about 1969 to 1970. Half of those registered today were built by 1969.
What engine does the Cessna 150K have?: Most have the Continental O-200 (96% of those registered).
What are common problems with the Cessna 150K?: In 3 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were fuel boost pump, emergency equipment, main landing gear attach section, and the part most often reported was a contaminated carburetor.
How many accidents has the Cessna 150K had?: 8 in the NTSB's database since 2009, 2 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 150K have?: 25 current ADs name the 150K airframe, 1 of them with a repeat action, and 8 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.