Ownership guide
Cessna 180K
271 registered in the US, built from about 1976 to 1981, 4 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
- 271
- Built
- 1976 to 1981
- Half built by
- 1978
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental O-470
Engines installed
- Continental O-470229 aircraft (85%) · 20 ADs, 2 with a repeat action
- Continental IO-5206 aircraft (2%) · 28 ADs, 4 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25 current ADs name the 180K airframe, 2 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded. Its engines carry 48 more. 9 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
Accident record
20 accidents since 2008, 1 fatal (2 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 0 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of control on ground6
- Loss of engine power (total)3
- Fuel starvation2
- Runway excursion2
- Miscellaneous/other1
- Collision during takeoff/land1
Phase of flight
- Landing10
- Initial climb3
- Approach3
- Enroute2
- Takeoff1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-22 | Anchorage, AK | Initial climb: Fuel starvation | None | ANC26LA076 |
| 2026-03-27 | Beloit, KS | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | CEN26LA150 |
| 2025-11-08 | Lakeview, AR | Approach: Miscellaneous/other | None | CEN26LA040 |
| 2025-08-14 | Anza, CA | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | WPR25LA255 |
| 2024-05-20 | Midland, TX | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | CEN24LA195 |
| 2023-09-21 | Monument valley, UT | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | WPR23LA353 |
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.
- 9 equipment ADs name the 180K (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 180Ks are registered in the US?
- 271, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 180K built?
- From about 1976 to 1981. Half of those registered today were built by 1978.
- What engine does the Cessna 180K have?
- Most have the Continental O-470 (85% of those registered); others have the Continental IO-520.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 180K had?
- 20 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 1 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 180K have?
- 25 current ADs name the 180K airframe, 2 of them with a repeat action, and 48 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.