Ownership guide
Cessna 414
238 registered in the US, built from about 1969 to 1977, 7 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
- 238
- Built
- 1969 to 1977
- Half built by
- 1974
- Seats
- 7
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental TSIO-520
Engines installed
- Continental TSIO-520197 aircraft (83%) · 45 ADs, 3 with a repeat action
- Continental IO-5209 aircraft (4%) · 28 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
- Continental GTSIO-5207 aircraft (3%) · 18 ADs, 1 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18 current ADs name the 414 airframe, 1 with a repeat action; 3 more were superseded. Its engines carry 91 more. 15 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
9 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Vertical Stabilizer Miscellaneous Structure2
- Reciprocating Engine Power Section2
- Nose/Tail Landing Gear1
- Oxygen System1
- Elevator, Tab Structure1
- Landing Gear Retraction/Extension System1
Parts reported most
- Lifter, spalled2
- Fork, broken1
- Oxygen system, leaking1
- Angle, corroded1
- Trim tab, cracked1
- Bellcrank, broken1
The latest reports
2025-11-26 · Vertical Stabilizer Miscellaneous Structure · Support, corroded
During a preflight walkaround, surface corrosion was observed on the vertical stabilizer aft section. after closer inspection severe delamination was seen on the aft vertical support angles and aft stab bulkhead section. the rudder trim tab bracket also had significant delamination as well.
2025-11-25 · Vertical Stabilizer Miscellaneous Structure · Angle, corroded
During a preflight walk around corrosion was observed on the aft spar angle channel of the vertical stabilizer. upon further investigation significant intergranular corrosion was found resulting in exfoliation of the surface ot the spar angle. this resulted in a major repair. aircraft was removed from service
2021-03-09 · Oxygen System · Oxygen system, leaking
Aircraft owner reported hissing sound above cabin headliner when cabin oxygen control was turned on. pressurized oxygen system and confirmed loud hissing sound coming from headliner between first row of passenger seats. used borescope to inspect the area, and found leak coming from box formed by rear spar carry-through bulkheads. further inspection showed the leak to be coming from the o2 line whe
2018-09-15 · Elevator, Tab Structure · Trim tab, cracked
During annual/100 inspection, surface corrosion was observed near and on the attachment screws for the elevator trim tab horn (p/n: 0831000-50). corrosion was cleaned. cracks were observed in the aft two screw holes on the top surface of the elevator trim tab. the internal phenolic block inside the trim tab appears to have shattered and compressed. it is assumed that during installation in the pas
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
27 accidents since 2009, 9 fatal (20 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 8 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of control in flight5
- Landing gear collapse4
- Loss of control on ground3
- System or component failure (not the engine)2
- Runway excursion2
- Birdstrike1
Phase of flight
- Landing11
- Approach6
- Initial climb4
- Takeoff4
- Maneuvering1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-09-03 | New braunfels, TX | Approach: Birdstrike | None | CEN25LA362 |
| 2025-08-26 | Maryville, MO | Landing: Landing gear collapse | None | CEN25LA407 |
| 2025-06-08 | San diego, CA | Initial climb: Unknown or undetermined | Fatal | WPR25FA169 |
| 2024-07-04 | Leadville, CO | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | CEN24LA329 |
| 2023-10-12 | Patterson, LA | Takeoff: Loss of control in flight | Fatal | CEN24FA010 |
| 2023-01-18 | Modesto, CA | Approach: Loss of control in flight | Fatal | WPR23FA092 |
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 vertical stabilizer miscellaneous structure and for spalled lifters: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 15 equipment ADs name the 414 (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 414 family
Questions
- How many Cessna 414s are registered in the US?
- 238, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 414 built?
- From about 1969 to 1977. Half of those registered today were built by 1974.
- What engine does the Cessna 414 have?
- Most have the Continental TSIO-520 (83% of those registered); others have the Continental IO-520, Continental GTSIO-520.
- What are common problems with the Cessna 414?
- In 9 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were vertical stabilizer miscellaneous structure, reciprocating engine power section, nose/tail landing gear, and the part most often reported was a spalled lifter.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 414 had?
- 27 in the NTSB's database since 2009, 9 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 414 have?
- 18 current ADs name the 414 airframe, 1 of them with a repeat action, and 91 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.