Ownership guide
Cessna 525
659 registered in the US, built from about 1993 to 2026, 8 seats, most with the Williams FJ44. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 659
- Built
- 1993 to 2026
- Half built by
- 2004
- Seats
- 8
- Engine type
- Turbofan
- Most common engine
- Williams FJ44
Engines installed
- Williams FJ44341 aircraft (52%) · 3 ADs, 1 with a repeat action
- Wmsintl FJ44306 aircraft (46%)
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
9 current ADs name the 525 airframe, 2 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded. Its engines carry 3 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.
- 2020-24-06Flight controlsAirplaneSupersedes 2019-08-13Repeat actionNov 23, 2020
- 2013-08-05Requires inspection of the number of hours on the A/C compressor hour meter, inspection of the logbook, replacement of the brushes on certain P/N A/C compressor motors or deactivation of the A/C system until...Air conditioning · AirplaneRepeat actionApr 25, 2013
What gets reported
63 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Turbine Engine Compressor Section14
- Aileron Control System4
- Fuel Control/Turbine Engines3
- Engine (Turbine/Turboprop)3
- Hydraulic System, Main3
- Starter-Generator3
Parts reported most
- Compressor, damaged8
- Control cable, worn4
- Fdu, failed2
- Starter gen, defective2
- Housing, cracked1
- Printed ckt board, defective1
The latest reports
2026-09-24 · Turbine Engine Compressor Section · Compressor, damaged
Williams international engine model fj44-1a, engine serial number 1086, from aircraft 525-0040 (n19dp) was returned to our repair station for unscheduled repair. an airframe service center was preparing to perform a compressor wash when they noticed damage to the trailing edge of the fan stator vanes and damage to the intermediate pressure compressor (ipc) rotor blades. after the engine was ship
2026-08-18 · Engine Bleed Air System · Control valve, faulted
Aircraft experienced an air duct overheat.
2026-07-07 · Turbine Engine Compressor Section · Compressor, damaged
Williams international engine model fj44-1ap, engine serial number 290520, from aircraft 525m2-1057 (se-rvz), was returned to our repair station for unscheduled repair. the engine oem provided a report from the aircraft operator that during cruise above 94% n1, there was a change in engine sound characteristics. a subsequent borescope inspection by the service center identified one missing blade
2026-06-19 · Power Lever · Control cable, binding
Lh engine throttle control stiff / binding.
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 2008, 10 fatal (23 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 7 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Runway excursion8
- Loss of control in flight5
- Birdstrike3
- Landing area overshoot2
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT)2
- Flight instrument failure1
Phase of flight
- Landing12
- Approach4
- Enroute4
- Takeoff2
- Initial climb2
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-13 | Mesquite, TX | Takeoff: Loss of control in flight | Fatal | CEN25FA119 |
| 2025-01-09 | Ubatuba, OF | Landing: Landing area overshoot | Fatal | GAA25WA056 |
| 2025-01-09 | Ubatuba | Unknown: Flight instrument failure | ENG26WA015 | |
| 2024-10-12 | Rio de janeiro, OF | Landing: Runway excursion | None | GAA25WA014 |
| 2024-06-30 | Richmond, VA | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | ERA24LA293 |
| 2022-03-07 | Middle river, MD | Landing: Runway excursion | None | ERA22LA148 |
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 turbine engine compressor section and for damaged compressors: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 8 equipment ADs name the 525 (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 525 family
Questions
- How many Cessna 525s are registered in the US?
- 659, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 525 built?
- From about 1993 to 2026. Half of those registered today were built by 2004.
- What engine does the Cessna 525 have?
- Most have the Williams FJ44 (52% of those registered); others have the Wmsintl FJ44.
- What are common problems with the Cessna 525?
- In 63 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were turbine engine compressor section, aileron control system, fuel control/turbine engines, and the part most often reported was a damaged compressor.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 525 had?
- 27 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 10 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 525 have?
- 9 current ADs name the 525 airframe, 2 of them with a repeat action, and 3 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.