Ownership guide
Cessna 680A
392 registered in the US, built from about 2014 to 2026, 10 seats, most with the Pratt & Whitney PW306D1. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 392
- Built
- 2014 to 2026
- Half built by
- 2020
- Seats
- 10
- Engine type
- Turbofan
- Most common engine
- Pratt & Whitney PW306D1
Engines installed
- Pratt & Whitney PW306D1348 aircraft (89%)
- Pratt & Whitney PW306D41 aircraft (10%)
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
7 current ADs name the 680A airframe, 3 with a repeat action.
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.
- 2017-06-13Requires repetitive inspections of the aft canted bulkhead; repair if necessary; and a modification, which would terminate the repetitive inspectionsFuselage · AirplaneRepeat actionMar 28, 2017
- 2005-08-03Requires revising the airplane flight manual (AFM) to add procedures to facilitate recovery of the cockpit display units in the event that the cockpit display units go blank, and to add flight crew briefings on the...Cessna Model 680 Airplanes · AirplaneRepeat actionApr 14, 2005
- 2001-23-03Extend the inspections and installation of the switch cover requirement to certain 172N, 172P, R172K, 172RG, F172N, F172P, FR172J, and FR172K series airplanesCessna Aircraft Company Models 172N, 172P, R172K, 172RG, F172N, F172P, FR172J, and FR172K Airplanes · AirplaneSupersedes 80-04-08Repeat actionNov 15, 2001
What gets reported
1,500 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Emergency Lighting331
- Passenger/Crew Doors256
- Landing Gear Position and Warning54
- Accessory Gearboxes39
- Landing Gear Retraction/Extension System36
- Horizontal Stabilizer, Plate/Skin33
Parts reported most
- Unknown, unknown160
- None, none61
- Skin, corroded41
- Battery, defective29
- Cover, corroded25
- Battery pack, inoperative23
The latest reports
2026-10-13 · Door Warning System · Pcb, defective
During initial climbout check doors and cabin door open cas illuminated. same messages appeared during preflight and were cleared by the reset procedure accomplished under the direction of maintenance control. corrective action: replaced ced monitor pcb assembly. ops check good. iaw ce680a amm 24-60-40
2026-10-13 · Emergency Lighting · Light, defective
During pre-flight inspection of the emer lights, it was found that the pathway light under the lav would not illuminate corrective action: replaced light. ops check good. iaw ce680a amm 33-50-00
2026-10-11 · Landing Gear Position and Warning · Landing gear, malfunctioned
On climb out when attempting to retract landing gear, amber gear disagree l-r-n cas message posted. all 3 gear indicator boxes turned to amber dn. ran qrh, message cleared and gear indicators returned to green dn.
2026-10-07 · Wing Spar · Spar cap, corroded
Corrosion found on lt wing aft spar lower cap. accomplished removal of corrosion and ndt to verify no cracks present and determine the remaining material thickness. treated and installed a repair doubler and restored surface finish. all work accomplished iaw ero-991263 rev a.
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
3 accidents since 2019, 1 fatal (1 person killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 1 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Powerplant sys/comp failure1
- Aircraft structural failure1
- Runway excursion1
Phase of flight
- Enroute2
- Landing1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-17 | Laredo, TX | Enroute: Powerplant sys/comp failure | Fatal | CEN26FA228 |
| 2026-02-27 | Miami, FL | Enroute: Aircraft structural failure | None | ERA26LA130 |
| 2019-08-15 | Elizabethton, TN | Landing: Runway excursion | Minor | ERA19FA248 |
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 (3 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 emergency lighting and for unknown unknowns: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 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 680 family
Questions
- How many Cessna 680As are registered in the US?
- 392, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 680A built?
- From about 2014 to 2026. Half of those registered today were built by 2020.
- What engine does the Cessna 680A have?
- Most have the Pratt & Whitney PW306D1 (89% of those registered); others have the Pratt & Whitney PW306D.
- What are common problems with the Cessna 680A?
- In 1,500 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were emergency lighting, passenger/crew doors, landing gear position and warning, and the part most often reported was a unknown unknown.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 680A had?
- 3 in the NTSB's database since 2019, 1 of them fatal. The most common defining event was powerplant sys/comp failure. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Cessna 680A have?
- 7 current ADs name the 680A airframe, 3 of them with a repeat action. 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.