Ownership guide
Cessna 182 Skylane
444 registered in the US, built from about 1956 to 1985, 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
- 444
- Built
- 1956 to 1985
- Half built by
- 1956
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental O-470
Engines installed
- Continental O-470405 aircraft (91%) · 20 ADs, 2 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
28 current ADs name the 182 airframe, 2 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded.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
5 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Battery Box Structure1
- Aircraft Fuel System1
- Magneto/Distributor1
- Landing Gear System1
- Shimmy Damper1
Parts reported most
- Angle, cracked1
- Fuel, unknown1
- Pin, dislodged1
- Solenoid, defective1
- Barrel, broken1
The latest reports
2024-12-23 · Aircraft Fuel System · Fuel, unknown
I am concerned about adverse effects from a new unleaded fuel (g100ul) that was approved via the stc process (sa01967wi & se01966wi) and recently introduced at two local airports (krhv, kwvi). based on public reports by some users that they experienced paint deterioration after use of the fuel, i acquired a fuel sample (1 gallon) to evaluate. i performed testing of g100ul on spare o-rings and pain
2023-06-27 · Landing Gear System · Solenoid, defective
Landing gear hydraulic power pack solenoid failed. aircraft landed with nose gear down and locked but left and right main gears folded on landing. damage to right wing tip, right side of horizontal stabilizer and right elevator. solenoid failure determined by troubleshooting entire landing gear system; no power across solenoid when gear up or down activated. pressure switch noted operating as exp
2019-02-13 · Magneto/Distributor · Pin, dislodged
(can) impulse coupling pin (no part number for only the pin) normally pressed into magneto housing had come out of the housing allowing oil to enter the case of the mag, the pin (1/4 inch diameter by 1 1/8 inch long) was flung loose and came to rest at the bottom of the accessory case. this was one of four pins pushed into the housing that trigger the impulse coupling cam p/n 10-400167-13. total t
2017-05-16 · Shimmy Damper · Barrel, broken
Nose wheel shimmy dampener barrel assembly. attachment boss broke causing shimmy dampener to lose its fluid causing loss of steering control.
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
337 accidents since 2008, 93 fatal (171 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 51 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of control on ground42
- Loss of engine power (total)33
- Loss of control in flight32
- Hard landing21
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT)21
- Loss of engine power (partial)16
Phase of flight
- Landing107
- Enroute70
- Approach35
- Takeoff33
- Initial climb27
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-12 | Piseco, NY | Initial climb: Loss of control in flight | Fatal | ERA26FA269 |
| 2026-06-11 | Charlotte, VT | Landing: Runway excursion | None | ERA26LA250 |
| 2026-05-28 | Dickinson, ND | Landing: Hard landing | None | CEN26LA214 |
| 2026-05-04 | Lancaster, OH | Enroute: Loss of engine power (partial) | Minor | ERA26LA197 |
| 2026-05-03 | Santa cruz barillas, OF | Unknown: Unknown or undetermined | Fatal | GAA26WA183 |
| 2026-04-01 | Houston, TX | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | CEN26LA157 |
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 battery box structure and for cracked angles: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 13 equipment ADs name the 182 (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 182 family
Questions
- How many Cessna 182s are registered in the US?
- 444, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 182 built?
- From about 1956 to 1985. Half of those registered today were built by 1956.
- What engine does the Cessna 182 have?
- Most have the Continental O-470 (91% of those registered).
- What are common problems with the Cessna 182?
- In 5 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were battery box structure, aircraft fuel system, magneto/distributor, and the part most often reported was a cracked angle.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 182 had?
- 337 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 93 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 182 have?
- 28 current ADs name the 182 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.