Ownership guide
Cessna 310R
356 registered in the US, built from about 1974 to 1981, 6 seats, most with the Continental IO-520. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 356
- Built
- 1974 to 1981
- Half built by
- 1976
- Seats
- 6
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental IO-520
Engines installed
- Continental IO-520307 aircraft (86%) · 28 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
- Continental TSIO-52010 aircraft (3%) · 45 ADs, 3 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
18 current ADs name the 310R airframe, 1 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded. Its engines carry 73 more. 8 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.
What gets reported
26 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Landing Gear Retraction/Extension System3
- Landing Gear Door Retract Section2
- Propeller Governor2
- Trailing Edge Flap Control System2
- Reciprocating Engine Cylinder Section1
- AC Generator-Alternator1
Parts reported most
- Bellcrank, broken3
- Bellcrank, cracked2
- Bearing, failed2
- Gasket, collapsed1
- Alternator, inoperative1
- Bellcrank, failed1
The latest reports
2026-07-28 · Landing Gear Steering System · Bellcrank, cracked
Cracked nose gear steering bell crank. (old style bell cranks frequently)
2026-07-28 · Fuselage, Landing Gear Attach Fittings · Rib, cracked
Left and right main landing gear side brace ribs cracked per cessna me76-2
2026-07-28 · Wing, Plate/Skin · Skin, cracked
Left and right upper wing skin cracks per cessna meb08-3.
2026-05-27 · AC Generator-Alternator · Alternator, inoperative
The pilot reported the lh alternator failure light illuminated in flight, with the lh alternator indicating no electrical output. the alternator was installed on 05/20/2025 at an airframe total time of 4939.8 hours and was removed as inoperative on 05/14/2026. at the time of removal, the alternator had accumulated approximately 544.2 hours in service. during the unit's evaluation, we were inform
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
26 accidents since 2008, 13 fatal (25 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 6 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of control in flight6
- Landing gear collapse5
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT)4
- Wildlife encounter (non-bird)2
- Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT)2
- Powerplant sys/comp failure1
Phase of flight
- Landing8
- Approach7
- Enroute3
- Takeoff2
- Taxi2
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-11 | Boca raton, FL | Takeoff: Loss of control in flight | Fatal | ERA25FA173 |
| 2024-06-27 | Duluth, MN | Takeoff: Powerplant sys/comp failure | None | CEN24LA242 |
| 2024-01-14 | Poolville, TX | Enroute: Medical event | Fatal | CEN24FA089 |
| 2022-12-15 | Lexington, KY | Landing: Landing gear collapse | None | ERA23LA154 |
| 2022-03-10 | Mcgrath, AK | Taxi: Landing gear collapse | None | WPR22LA124 |
| 2021-06-19 | Portland, IN | Landing: Wildlife encounter (non-bird) | None | CEN21LA279 |
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 (1 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 retraction/extension system and for broken bellcranks: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 8 equipment ADs name the 310R (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 310 family
Questions
- How many Cessna 310Rs are registered in the US?
- 356, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 310R built?
- From about 1974 to 1981. Half of those registered today were built by 1976.
- What engine does the Cessna 310R have?
- Most have the Continental IO-520 (86% of those registered); others have the Continental TSIO-520.
- What are common problems with the Cessna 310R?
- In 26 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were landing gear retraction/extension system, landing gear door retract section, propeller governor, and the part most often reported was a broken bellcrank.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 310R had?
- 26 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 13 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of control in flight. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Cessna 310R have?
- 18 current ADs name the 310R airframe, 1 of them with a repeat action, and 73 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.