Ownership guide
Cessna 182S Skylane
603 registered in the US, built from about 1997 to 2001, 4 seats, most with the Lycoming IO-540. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 603
- Built
- 1997 to 2001
- Half built by
- 1999
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Lycoming IO-540
Engines installed
- Lycoming IO-540525 aircraft (87%) · 33 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
- Lycoming IO-36035 aircraft (6%) · 29 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
- Lycoming TIO-54015 aircraft (2%) · 32 ADs, 5 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
34 current ADs name the 182S airframe, 4 with a repeat action; 5 more were superseded. Its engines carry 94 more. 4 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
- 2013-11-11Requires replacement when the engine oil pressure switch reaches its life limitEngine oil pressure · AirplaneSupersedes 2000-04-01Repeat actionJun 27, 2013
- 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
- 2000-02-14Requires replacing the exhaust system with an improved design exhaust system within a certain period of time, as terminating action for those requirements retained from AD 98-13-10Cessna Aircraft Company Model 182S Airplanes · AirplaneSupersedes 98-13-10Repeat actionJan 27, 2000
What gets reported
3 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Engine Air Intake System1
- Reciprocating Engine Power Section1
- Aircraft Fuel Distribution System1
Parts reported most
- Housing, damaged1
- Bearing, failed1
- Hose, cracked1
The latest reports
2020-01-11 · Aircraft Fuel Distribution System · Hose, cracked
Several months ago i had a strong smell of gas in the cabin, it was traced down to a cracked "rubber" hose between the wing tank and the tube down to the engine. at the time i asked the mechanic if it should be reported and the other side of the plane checked, he said it was something unique. last week i smelled gas in the cabin again, i thought it was imagination, it went away. this morning as i
2018-07-10 · Engine Air Intake System · Housing, damaged
Air filter housing pn 07506212 damaged at the outlet. suspect damage was caused by over tightening of the clamp that secures the rubber coupling to the duct. metal tape was wrapped around the outlet portion of the housing in an attempt to repair the cracked section. a piece of the housing broke free and was sucked into and lodged in the throat of the fuel servo causing an extreme loss of engine
2017-06-12 · Reciprocating Engine Power Section · Bearing, failed
After removal of the cylinder, found that the crankshaft main bearings from the nr 6 cylinder were crushed and parts of them missing, later found the remaining pieces of bearing material and pieces of the connecting rod end cap, nuts and bolts in the oil sump. the crank lob was found discolored and damaged from possible oil starvation and heat.
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
16 accidents since 2008, 3 fatal (4 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 0 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Runway excursion3
- Loss of control in flight2
- Loss of control on ground2
- Abnormal runway contact2
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT)2
- System or component failure (not the engine)1
Phase of flight
- Landing6
- Takeoff3
- Enroute2
- Maneuvering1
- Approach1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-20 | Naples, FL | Takeoff: Runway excursion | None | ERA26LA244 |
| 2023-03-21 | Alcova, WY | Enroute: Loss of control in flight | Fatal | WPR23FA137 |
| 2023-02-28 | Labelle, FL | Landing: System or component failure (not the engine) | None | ERA23LA134 |
| 2017-11-22 | Bolingbrook, IL | Takeoff: Loss of control on ground | None | CEN18LA041 |
| 2014-06-15 | Put in bay, OH | Landing: Abnormal runway contact | None | CEN14CA355 |
| 2013-07-27 | Tecumseh, OK | Maneuvering: Aerodynamic stall/spin | Serious | CEN13TA441 |
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 engine air intake system and for damaged housings: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 4 equipment ADs name the 182S (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 182Ss are registered in the US?
- 603, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 182S built?
- From about 1997 to 2001. Half of those registered today were built by 1999.
- What engine does the Cessna 182S have?
- Most have the Lycoming IO-540 (87% of those registered); others have the Lycoming IO-360, Lycoming TIO-540.
- What are common problems with the Cessna 182S?
- In 3 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were engine air intake system, reciprocating engine power section, aircraft fuel distribution system, and the part most often reported was a damaged housing.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 182S had?
- 16 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 3 of them fatal. The most common defining event was runway excursion. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Cessna 182S have?
- 34 current ADs name the 182S airframe, 4 of them with a repeat action, and 94 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.