Ownership guide

Cessna 182N Skylane

332 registered in the US, built from about 1969 to 1971, 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
332
Built
1969 to 1971
Half built by
1970
Seats
4
Engine type
Piston
Most common engine
Continental O-470

Engines installed

From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.

Airworthiness Directives

32 current ADs name the 182N airframe, 2 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded. Its engines carry 20 more. 11 equipment ADs name the model.

Every AD for the Cessna 182N

What gets reported

1 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.

Systems reported most

  1. Reciprocating Engine Oil System1

Parts reported most

  1. Pump, damaged1

The latest reports

  • 2020-12-04 · Reciprocating Engine Oil System · Pump, damaged

    The aircraft had a oil leak. we found the threads in the oil pump housing were gaulded and the oil filter adapter threads were damaged. most likely from over torque. the pump body p/n 632563 was replaced and air wolf remote oil filter kit installed.

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

9 accidents since 2008, 2 fatal (2 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 0 aircraft destroyed.

What happened

  1. Hard landing2
  2. Off-field or emergency landing1
  3. Ground collision1
  4. Loss of engine power (total)1
  5. Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT)1
  6. Birdstrike1

Phase of flight

  1. Landing3
  2. Approach1
  3. Standing1
  4. Takeoff1
  5. Taxi1

The latest

DateWhereWhat happenedInjuriesNTSB number
2025-09-23Fallbrook, CAApproach: Off-field or emergency landingMinorWPR25LA292
2025-02-09Auburn, CAStanding: Ground collisionNoneWPR25LA091
2023-07-06St maries, IDTakeoff: Loss of engine power (total)FatalWPR23FA256
2022-09-04Blairstown, NJTaxi: Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT)NoneERA22LA409
2013-12-29Paradis, LAEnroute: BirdstrikeNoneCEN14CA095
2012-06-02Pista aã©reaFatalCEN12WA338

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

  1. Run its N-number through the AD check: every AD that names its airframe and engine, as a checklist to take to the logbooks.
  2. For each repeat-action AD (2 on the airframe), find the last compliance in the logbooks and when the next one is due.
  3. 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.
  4. Ask the mechanic doing the pre-buy to look hard at the reciprocating engine oil system and for damaged pumps: they are what gets reported most on this model.
  5. 11 equipment ADs name the 182N (a muffler, a seat belt, a display): find out which of that equipment is installed.
  6. Check the registration, the airworthiness certificate and the date of the last annual inspection.
  7. 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 182Ns are registered in the US?
332, in the FAA aircraft registry.
When was the Cessna 182N built?
From about 1969 to 1971. Half of those registered today were built by 1970.
What engine does the Cessna 182N have?
Most have the Continental O-470 (98% of those registered).
What are common problems with the Cessna 182N?
In 1 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 damaged pump.
How many accidents has the Cessna 182N had?
9 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 2 of them fatal. The most common defining event was hard landing. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
How many Airworthiness Directives does the Cessna 182N have?
32 current ADs name the 182N 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.