Ownership guide
Cessna 182B Skylane
399 registered in the US, built from about 1958 to 1959, 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
- 399
- Built
- 1958 to 1959
- Half built by
- 1959
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental O-470
Engines installed
- Continental O-470391 aircraft (98%) · 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28 current ADs name the 182B airframe, 2 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded. Its engines carry 20 more. 10 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
2 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Reciprocating Engine Oil System2
Parts reported most
- Gasket, deformed1
- Gasket, failed1
The latest reports
2021-07-30 · Reciprocating Engine Oil System · Gasket, deformed
On shutdown, noticed a pool of oil on the ramp, and thick along the entire belly. measured 5 qts of oil remaining. inspetion revealed the fiber gasket showed a nick and defromation of the oil filter adapter. on removal, confirmed the gasket on the oil filter adapter was deformed.
2021-07-30 · Reciprocating Engine Oil System · Gasket, failed
On shut down noticed pool of oil on ramp and thick along entire belly. measured 5 qts oil remaining. inspection revealed fiber gasket showed nick and deformation of oil filter adapter gasket swift pn fm-07. on removal it was confirmed that gasket on oil filter adapter [f&n, now swift] was deformed exactly like examples in ntsb asr-20-05 safety recommendation.
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
17 accidents since 2008, 2 fatal (5 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 1 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT)2
- Hard landing1
- Roll over1
- Fuel starvation1
- Fuel related1
- Loss of engine power (total)1
Phase of flight
- Enroute6
- Landing3
- Approach2
- Takeoff2
- Maneuvering2
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-04 | Belen, NM | Landing: Hard landing | None | WPR25LA207 |
| 2025-04-12 | Girdwood, AK | Landing: Roll over | Minor | ANC25LA034 |
| 2024-12-23 | Waimea, HI | Enroute: Fuel starvation | None | ANC25LA013 |
| 2024-08-28 | Hawi, HI | Approach: Fuel related | Minor | ANC24LA084 |
| 2024-08-24 | King salmon, AK | Takeoff: Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT) | None | ANC24LA081 |
| 2024-07-13 | Soldier, ID | Enroute: Loss of engine power (total) | Minor | WPR24LA240 |
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 reciprocating engine oil system and for deformed gaskets: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 10 equipment ADs name the 182B (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 182Bs are registered in the US?
- 399, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 182B built?
- From about 1958 to 1959. Half of those registered today were built by 1959.
- What engine does the Cessna 182B have?
- Most have the Continental O-470 (98% of those registered).
- What are common problems with the Cessna 182B?
- In 2 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were reciprocating engine oil system, and the part most often reported was a deformed gasket.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 182B had?
- 17 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 2 of them fatal. The most common defining event was collision with terrain or object (non-cfit). These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Cessna 182B have?
- 28 current ADs name the 182B 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.