Ownership guide
Cessna 180J
260 registered in the US, built from about 1972 to 1976, 6 seats, most with the Continental O-470. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 260
- Built
- 1972 to 1976
- Half built by
- 1975
- Seats
- 6
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental O-470
Engines installed
- Continental O-470243 aircraft (93%) · 20 ADs, 2 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
26 current ADs name the 180J airframe, 2 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded. Its engines carry 20 more. 13 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.
- 2020-21-22Requires inspecting the tailcone and horizontal stabilizer for corrosion and cracks and repairing or replacing damaged parts as necessaryFuselage · AirplaneRepeat actionNov 2, 2020
- 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
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
- Aileron Control System1
- Brake1
- Horizontal Stabilizer Structure1
Parts reported most
- Control cable, frayed1
- Caliper, locked1
- Reinforcement, cracked1
The latest reports
2023-04-18 · Aileron Control System · Control cable, frayed
Fraying found on all three aileron control cables at fuselage upper aft cabin pullies. note: aircraft was modified by robertson r/stol high lift safety and performance system stc sa1435we 20/21/1994.
2019-09-17 · Brake · Caliper, locked
Piston in lh brake caliper locked in place causing the brake to drag, pilot aborted take off to check brakes. we believe this was caused by worn brake pads. no emergency measures taken. no sbs, ads, icas or stcs apply. brake pads were within tolerance, but we believe replacing them sooner should prevent this from occurring.
2018-11-05 · Horizontal Stabilizer Structure · Reinforcement, cracked
Stab hinge boxes damaged. replaced both stabilizer hinge reinforcement boxes.
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
30 accidents since 2009, 0 fatal, 0 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of control on ground18
- Loss of control in flight2
- Nose over/nose down2
- Loss of engine power (partial)2
- Fuel exhaustion1
- Windshear or thunderstorm1
Phase of flight
- Landing18
- Takeoff7
- Enroute2
- Maneuvering2
- Taxi1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-18 | Bettles, AK | Enroute: Fuel exhaustion | Minor | ANC26LA089 |
| 2025-08-01 | Kamiah, ID | Takeoff: Windshear or thunderstorm | None | WPR25LA235 |
| 2025-07-05 | King salmon, AK | Landing: Loss of control in flight | Serious | ANC25LA065 |
| 2025-06-08 | Flagstaff, AZ | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | ANC25LA049 |
| 2025-04-10 | Oakland, CA | Takeoff: Loss of control on ground | None | WPR25LA132 |
| 2024-05-28 | Mccall, ID | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | WPR24LA170 |
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
Per year, flown or not
- Fuel
- $0/hr
- Engine reserve
- $0/hr
- A year
- $0
- All in, per hour
- $0/hr
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 (2 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 aileron control system and for frayed control cables: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 13 equipment ADs name the 180J (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 180 family
Questions
- How many Cessna 180Js are registered in the US?
- 260, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 180J built?
- From about 1972 to 1976. Half of those registered today were built by 1975.
- What engine does the Cessna 180J have?
- Most have the Continental O-470 (93% of those registered).
- What are common problems with the Cessna 180J?
- In 3 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were aileron control system, brake, horizontal stabilizer structure, and the part most often reported was a frayed control cable.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 180J had?
- 30 in the NTSB's database since 2009, 0 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 180J have?
- 26 current ADs name the 180J airframe, 2 of them with a repeat action, and 20 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.