Ownership guide
Cessna 208B
823 registered in the US, built from about 1986 to 2026, 12 seats, most with the Pratt & Whitney PT6A. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 823
- Built
- 1986 to 2026
- Half built by
- 2001
- Seats
- 12
- Engine type
- Turboprop
- Most common engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A
Engines installed
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A781 aircraft (95%) · 24 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
17 current ADs name the 208B airframe, 2 with a repeat action; 4 more were superseded. Its engines carry 24 more. 5 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.
- 2021-04-10Requires repetitively inspecting the inboard and outboard elevator torque tube attachments for loose or incorrectly installed fasteners, replacing all fasteners if loose or incorrectly installed fasteners are found,...Elevator structure · AirplaneRepeat actionMar 8, 2021
- 2004-17-01Repetitively inspect the flap bellcranks for cracks and eventually replace these bellcranksCessna Aircraft Company Models 208 and 208B Airplanes · AirplaneSupersedes 2002-22-17, 2003-21-04Repeat actionAug 13, 2004
What gets reported
460 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Landing Gear Brake System29
- Air Distribution System18
- Horizontal Stabilizer, Attach Fittings18
- Engine (Turbine/Turboprop)14
- Trailing Edge Flaps14
- Fire Detection14
Parts reported most
- Pressure switch, failed22
- Mount bolt, corroded18
- Unknown, unknown11
- Unknown, odor10
- Bolt, broken9
- Display, failed7
The latest reports
2026-10-11 · Door Warning System · Warning message, illuminated
Normal preflight duties were accomplished and the doors were verified latched inside and out, taxied out with no incident. upon takeoff roll the door warning annunciator flashed multiple times and an abort was called. we advised atc we needed a gate return and returned without incident.
2026-10-06 · Landing Gear Steering System · Shimmy dampener, chattering
Departing ogg on flight 512 with 9 pax onboard. on adding power to take off ogg, front end of acft started to shake violently. propeller was at 1900 rpm & torque was approx 1700 lbs with intention of continuing to add power to approx 2000 lbs for take off. airspeed indications were not present yet. called for an aborted to & pulled power to idle & shaking subsided. notified ogg tower that we
2026-10-01 · Engine (Turbine/Turboprop) · Engine, surges
During cruise at 13,000ft, the pilot experienced a temporary uncommanded power surge but the aircraft settled back into normal cruise performance setting. within the next 2 minutes, the uncommanded control commenced again only this time proceeded to redline and beyond on engine parameters. the pilot was unable to correct or adjust the uncommanded accceleration. the pilot declared an emergency an
2026-09-21 · Trailing Edge Flaps · Flap track, cracked
Found crack in outboard flap track on rh wing., track was removed and replaced with new track (pn: mc2622075-6, sn: j079924-020) and back drilled to pre-existing rivet sizes. track was installed with ms20470ad rivets, and hl18pb hi-loks of varying lengths. all work performed was accomplished irw ac43.13-1b section 4-52-a, 4-57, and 4-57-e,and was determined to be airworthy.
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
84 accidents since 2008, 27 fatal (88 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 14 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of engine power (total)10
- Ground collision7
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT)6
- Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT)5
- Loss of engine power (partial)4
- Loss of control in flight4
Phase of flight
- Enroute16
- Approach14
- Taxi12
- Landing11
- Takeoff6
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-09 | Salmon, ID | Approach: Flight control sys failure | None | WPR26LA302 |
| 2026-06-22 | Wiseman, AK | Enroute: Loss of engine power (partial) | Minor | ANC26LA062 |
| 2026-06-13 | Marana, AZ | Standing: Ground handling event | Fatal | WPR26LA219 |
| 2026-05-29 | Shelton, WA | Approach: Unknown or undetermined | Serious | WPR26LA205 |
| 2025-09-23 | Healy, AK | Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land | None | ANC25LA110 |
| 2025-08-01 | Anchorage, AK | Landing: Abnormal runway contact | None | ANC25LA081 |
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 landing gear brake system and for failed pressure switchs: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 5 equipment ADs name the 208B (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 208 family
Questions
- How many Cessna 208Bs are registered in the US?
- 823, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 208B built?
- From about 1986 to 2026. Half of those registered today were built by 2001.
- What engine does the Cessna 208B have?
- Most have the Pratt & Whitney PT6A (95% of those registered).
- What are common problems with the Cessna 208B?
- In 460 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were landing gear brake system, air distribution system, horizontal stabilizer, attach fittings, and the part most often reported was a failed pressure switch.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 208B had?
- 84 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 27 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of engine power (total). These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Cessna 208B have?
- 17 current ADs name the 208B airframe, 2 of them with a repeat action, and 24 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.