Ownership guide
Cessna 340A
537 registered in the US, built from about 1975 to 1984, 6 seats, most with the Continental TSIO-520. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 537
- Built
- 1975 to 1984
- Half built by
- 1978
- Seats
- 6
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental TSIO-520
Engines installed
- Continental TSIO-520464 aircraft (86%) · 45 ADs, 3 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
22 current ADs name the 340A airframe, 1 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded. Its engines carry 45 more. 18 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
24 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 Section4
- Landing Gear Door Retract Section3
- Wheel/Ski/Float2
- Reciprocating Engine Power Section2
- Landing Gear Retraction/Extension System1
- Wing Main, Frame Structure1
Parts reported most
- Bellcrank, cracked2
- Bellcrank, broken2
- Lifter, spalled2
- Bulkhead, cracked1
- Wheel, cracked1
- Wheel half, cracked1
The latest reports
2026-09-13 · Reciprocating Engine Cylinder Section · Clamp, broken
Aircraft departed khnd. a few minutes after reaching fl 190 and setting cruise power, the left engine began to lose power. the left engine manifold pressure began declining so pilot declared an emergency and immediately diverted to ksgu. the initial loss in power with gradual return led the pilot to believe there was fuel contamination and after sumping several gallons of fuel, the pilot was able
2026-06-10 · Wheel/Ski/Float · Wheel, cracked
3-piece nose gear wheel assembly cracks on middle hub assembly #d30321.
2026-06-10 · Wheel/Ski/Float · Wheel half, cracked
3-piece nose gear wheel assembly cracks on middle hub assembly #d30321.
2026-05-07 · DC Generator-Alternator · Alternator, destroyed
Alternator input shaft has been damaged due to detroyed drive coupling. drive coupling hub no longer round and woodruff key slot no longer visible as the hole is now egg-shaped. drive coupling hub & gear completely separated with nearly all rubber bushing missing. woodruff key pieces fused to input shaft of alternator. eng's crankshaft alternator drive gear face separated from crankshaft. all
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
28 accidents since 2008, 11 fatal (27 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 10 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of control in flight7
- System or component failure (not the engine)3
- VFR encounter with IMC2
- Ground collision2
- Landing gear collapse2
- Loss of control on ground2
Phase of flight
- Approach10
- Landing7
- Enroute5
- Taxi3
- Maneuvering2
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-02 | Magny-lã¨s-villers | Enroute: VFR encounter with IMC | Serious | GAA25WA036 |
| 2024-10-27 | Saint-denis-de-l'hã´tel, OF | Approach: Unknown or undetermined | Serious | GAA25WA016 |
| 2023-12-12 | New orleans, LA | Landing: System or component failure (not the engine) | None | CEN24LA062 |
| 2023-10-12 | Boise, ID | Taxi: Ground collision | None | WPR24LA013 |
| 2023-10-02 | Hayward, CA | Taxi: Medical event | None | WPR24LA003 |
| 2023-06-08 | Bend, OR | Taxi: Ground collision | None | WPR23LA221 |
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 reciprocating engine cylinder section and for cracked bellcranks: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 18 equipment ADs name the 340A (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 340 family
Questions
- How many Cessna 340As are registered in the US?
- 537, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 340A built?
- From about 1975 to 1984. Half of those registered today were built by 1978.
- What engine does the Cessna 340A have?
- Most have the Continental TSIO-520 (86% of those registered).
- What are common problems with the Cessna 340A?
- In 24 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were reciprocating engine cylinder section, landing gear door retract section, wheel/ski/float, and the part most often reported was a cracked bellcrank.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 340A had?
- 28 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 11 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 340A have?
- 22 current ADs name the 340A airframe, 1 of them with a repeat action, and 45 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.