Ownership guide
Cessna 182R Skylane
481 registered in the US, built from about 1980 to 1986, 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
- 481
- Built
- 1980 to 1986
- Half built by
- 1982
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental O-470
Engines installed
- Continental O-470433 aircraft (90%) · 20 ADs, 2 with a repeat action
- Continental IO-47019 aircraft (4%) · 20 ADs, 2 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
32 current ADs name the 182R airframe, 4 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded. Its engines carry 40 more. 7 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.
- 2025-23-08Requires repetitive visual inspections of the intercooler inlet and outlet hoses for cracks and, at a certain compliance time or if any cracks are found, replacement of the intercooler inlet and outlet hosesHoses and tubes · AirplaneRepeat actionNov 17, 2025
- 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
- 2009-04-05Remove the intercooler and the intercooler inlet and outlet hoses, install a reworked intercooler and new intercooler inlet and outlet hoses, inspect hoses and clamp torques, repetitively inspect installation of the...Cessna Aircraft Company Models 182Q and 182R Airplanes · AirplaneRepeat actionFeb 20, 2009
What gets reported
8 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Reciprocating Engine Cylinder Section3
- Reciprocating Engine Power Section2
- Heating System1
- Autopilot System1
- Electrical Power System Wiring1
Parts reported most
- Cylinder, cracked1
- Cylinder, separated1
- Gear, chipped1
- Heat exchanger, failed1
- Cylinder head, separated1
- None, none1
The latest reports
2026-08-27 · Reciprocating Engine Cylinder Section · Cylinder, separated
Cylinder nr 3 head separated from barrel. the operator had previously inspected an oil leak on or around cylinder nr 3. presentation of oil leak and separation of head from barrel is the same as described in ad 86-13-04 r3. this cylinder pn stamped on the flange is 658175b sn: ac14ha124, not listed on the previously mentioned ad.
2021-12-07 · Autopilot System · None, none
Electric trim activation was keying radio and pressing ptt switch was disconnecting autopilot. the yoke coil cord insulation was falling off of 2 adjacent wires allowing the 2 conductors to touch and short circuit. the coil cord is a cygnet ca3934-24 installed 2 years ago with a garmin gfc600 installation. this is the 2nd occurrence we've seen with the failed insulation on cygnet ca3934-24 coil co
2021-12-07 · Reciprocating Engine Power Section · Camshaft, distressed
During routine maintenance severe distress of camshaft lobe and lifters was identified. the maintenance was carried out during international travel, in australia. please contact me for photographs/engine inspection report.
2021-09-08 · Electrical Power System Wiring · Wire, arced
During initial takeoff roll after application of full power. pilot noticed sparks coming from below pilot's instrument panel. power was reduced to idle and takeoff roll was aborted. sparks stopped once power was pulled to idle. after taxi to ramp and engine shutdown a quick inspection was made for anything contacting the buss bar beneath the instrument panel. master switch was cycled back on and s
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
19 accidents since 2008, 5 fatal (9 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 1 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Hard landing4
- Loss of control in flight3
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT)2
- Fuel starvation1
- Collision during takeoff/land1
- Airport occurrence1
Phase of flight
- Landing9
- Enroute3
- Approach2
- Taxi1
- Initial climb1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-10-01 | Olathe, KS | Landing: Fuel starvation | None | CEN24LA002 |
| 2023-03-17 | Minto, AK | Landing: Unknown or undetermined | None | ANC23LA027 |
| 2023-01-14 | Las animas, CO | Approach: Loss of control in flight | None | CEN23LA082 |
| 2022-06-09 | Anchorage, AK | Landing: Hard landing | None | ANC22LA044 |
| 2022-04-15 | Tuskegee, AL | Landing: Hard landing | None | ERA22LA197 |
| 2020-11-12 | Rockwall, TX | Landing: Collision during takeoff/land | Fatal | CEN21LA055 |
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 (4 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 cylinder section and for cracked cylinders: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 7 equipment ADs name the 182R (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 182Rs are registered in the US?
- 481, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 182R built?
- From about 1980 to 1986. Half of those registered today were built by 1982.
- What engine does the Cessna 182R have?
- Most have the Continental O-470 (90% of those registered); others have the Continental IO-470.
- What are common problems with the Cessna 182R?
- In 8 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were reciprocating engine cylinder section, reciprocating engine power section, heating system, and the part most often reported was a cracked cylinder.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 182R had?
- 19 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 5 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 182R have?
- 32 current ADs name the 182R airframe, 4 of them with a repeat action, and 40 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.