Ownership guide
Cessna 650
200 registered in the US, built from about 1983 to 2000, 12 seats, most with the Garrett TFE731. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 200
- Built
- 1983 to 2000
- Half built by
- 1991
- Seats
- 12
- Engine type
- Turbofan
- Most common engine
- Garrett TFE731
Engines installed
- Garrett TFE731147 aircraft (74%) · 6 ADs, 0 with a repeat action
- Airesearch TFE73122 aircraft (11%)
- Honeywell TFE73112 aircraft (6%) · 31 ADs, 3 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
13 current ADs name the 650 airframe, 2 with a repeat action. Its engines carry 37 more. 31 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.
- 2015-17-12Requires inspections to determine if certain A/C compressor motors are installed and to determine the accumulated hours on certain A/C compressor motor assemblies; and repetitive replacement of the brushes in the A/C...Air conditioning · AirplaneRepeat actionAug 25, 2015
- 2013-09-11Requires inspecting to determine if certain A/C compressor motors are installed and to determine the accumulated hours on certain A/C drive motor assemblies; repetitive replacement of the brushes in the drive motor...Air conditioning · AirplaneRepeat actionMay 30, 2013
What gets reported
45 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 System6
- Hydraulic System, Main3
- Stabilizer Control System3
- Passenger/Crew Doors2
- Air Distribution System2
- Turbine Engine Oil System2
Parts reported most
- Unknown, odor2
- Indicator, malfunctioned2
- Control module, failed2
- Latch, binding1
- Accumulator, failed1
- Link, distorted1
The latest reports
2025-12-08 · Autopilot System · Autopilot sys, false activation
After takeoff master warning come on, primary trim failed. noted flight director went down (indicator erratic). accomplished re rack of the auto pilot computers ops check successful after the mx action per. amm 22-10-02
2024-08-23 · Landing Gear Retraction/Extension System · Switch, out of adjust
After takeoff from ksat to krdu landing gear would not retract, gear handle would not move from the down and lock position, flight crew diverted back to sat and landed with without incident. maintenance inspected the the aircraft landing gear retraction system and found nose gear squat switch out of adjustment preventing the landing gear system for handle not moving out of the down and lock posit
2024-08-16 · Landing Gear Retraction/Extension System · Squat switch, out of adjust
After takeoff from kaus to kpbi landing gear would not retract, gear handle would not move from the down and lock position, flight crew diverted to sat and landed with without incident. maintenance inspected the the aircraft landing gear retraction system and found nose gear squat switch out of adjustment preventing the landing gear handle from moving out of the down and lock position. maintenanc
2024-06-27 · Engine Fuel and Control · Pump, failed
From ksat to mynn when we experienced an engine failure in flight. at flight level 390 approximately 100 miles west of the southern coast of florida, the left (#1) engine rolled back quite abruptly in flight. we declared an emergency due to the loss of thrust and the cabin pressure rising since only 1 engine was supplying pressurization. upon our decent down to 10,000 feet, we commenced our sop
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
9 accidents since 2008, 5 fatal (22 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 6 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of control in flight3
- Other weather encounter1
- Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT)1
- Miscellaneous/other1
- Runway excursion1
- Flight control sys failure1
Phase of flight
- Enroute3
- Initial climb2
- Approach1
- Taxi1
- Landing1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-15 | Toluca, OF | Approach: Loss of control in flight | Fatal | GAA26WA052 |
| 2025-06-14 | Westplains, CO | Enroute: Other weather encounter | CEN25LA349 | |
| 2023-07-28 | Veracruz | Initial climb: Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT) | Fatal | GAA23WA223 |
| 2019-03-14 | Sanford, FL | Taxi: Miscellaneous/other | None | ERA19TA133 |
| 2017-09-21 | Istanbul | Landing: Runway excursion | Minor | ERA17WA331 |
| 2015-11-10 | Guarda-mor | Enroute: Loss of control in flight | Fatal | ERA16WA037 |
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 retraction/extension system and for odor unknowns: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 31 equipment ADs name the 650 (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.
Questions
- How many Cessna 650s are registered in the US?
- 200, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 650 built?
- From about 1983 to 2000. Half of those registered today were built by 1991.
- What engine does the Cessna 650 have?
- Most have the Garrett TFE731 (74% of those registered); others have the Airesearch TFE731, Honeywell TFE731.
- What are common problems with the Cessna 650?
- In 45 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were landing gear retraction/extension system, hydraulic system, main, stabilizer control system, and the part most often reported was a odor unknown.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 650 had?
- 9 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 5 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 650 have?
- 13 current ADs name the 650 airframe, 2 of them with a repeat action, and 37 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.