Ownership guide
Cessna 182M Skylane
428 registered in the US, built from about 1968 to 1969, 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
- 428
- Built
- 1968 to 1969
- Half built by
- 1969
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental O-470
Engines installed
- Continental O-470420 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
31 current ADs name the 182M airframe, 2 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded.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
4 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Trailing Edge Flap Control System2
- Oil Servicing1
- Fuselage Main, Bulkhead1
Parts reported most
- Control cable, binding1
- Oil filter, loose1
- Control cable, intermittent1
- Bulkhead, cracked1
The latest reports
2022-09-10 · Oil Servicing · Oil filter, loose
Aircraft is equipped with an airwolf remote oil filter adapter mounted on the firewall. a tempest ez turn oil filter part # aa48109-1 was installed at the last oil change and installed without the use of dow corning dc4 lubricant on the seal as directed by the manufacturer. the filter was torqued to 18 foot pounds and safety wired. the engine was serviced with 12 quarts of aeroshell 100w oil and r
2021-04-06 · Trailing Edge Flap Control System · Control cable, binding
Flap operation intermittent. found previously installed control cable (p/n s1244-20) binding at cable clamp, at flap actuator. found cable in other airframes have cable protection for clamp, eliminating inner cable restriction. solicited mcfarland aviation to manufacture a cable to original cable dimensions with original style cable protection (job number 65987). was informed by mcfarlane aviation
2021-04-06 · Trailing Edge Flap Control System · Control cable, intermittent
Flap operation intermittent. found previously installed control cable (p/n s1244-20) binding at cable clamp, at flap actuator. found cable in other airframes have cable protection for clamp, eliminating inner cable restriction. solicited to manufacture a cable to original cable dimensions with original style cable protection (job number 65987). was informed, working on pma for this part, having nu
2017-05-18 · Fuselage Main, Bulkhead · Bulkhead, cracked
Cracks were found in the aft bulkhead and all five vertical fin attachment bolts were found loose. this was caused by the aft bulkhead being under designed.
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
22 accidents since 2008, 4 fatal (7 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 1 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of control on ground5
- Loss of engine power (total)4
- Hard landing2
- Prop/jet/rotor blast/suction1
- Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT)1
- Fuel exhaustion1
Phase of flight
- Landing7
- Enroute6
- Taxi3
- Approach3
- Initial climb1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-06 | Flagstaff, AZ | Taxi: Prop/jet/rotor blast/suction | Minor | WPR26LA122 |
| 2025-08-30 | Kanab, UT | Landing: Hard landing | None | ANC25LA115 |
| 2025-07-28 | Inhama, OR | Taxi: Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT) | None | WPR25LA241 |
| 2025-06-15 | Willow creek, MT | Enroute: Fuel exhaustion | None | WPR25LA176 |
| 2024-12-31 | Los alamos, NM | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | WPR25LA076 |
| 2023-01-05 | Council bluffs, IA | Approach: Unknown or undetermined | None | CEN23LA076 |
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 trailing edge flap control system and for binding control cables: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 10 equipment ADs name the 182M (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 182Ms are registered in the US?
- 428, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 182M built?
- From about 1968 to 1969. Half of those registered today were built by 1969.
- What engine does the Cessna 182M have?
- Most have the Continental O-470 (98% of those registered).
- What are common problems with the Cessna 182M?
- In 4 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were trailing edge flap control system, oil servicing, fuselage main, bulkhead, and the part most often reported was a binding control cable.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 182M had?
- 22 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 4 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 182M have?
- 31 current ADs name the 182M 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.