Ownership guide
Cessna A185F
1,105 registered in the US, built from about 1973 to 1985, 6 seats, most with the Continental IO-520. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 1,105
- Built
- 1973 to 1985
- Half built by
- 1977
- Seats
- 6
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental IO-520
Engines installed
- Continental IO-520981 aircraft (89%) · 28 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
- Continental IO-55032 aircraft (3%) · 23 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
16 current ADs name the A185F airframe, 2 with a repeat action; 1 more were superseded. Its engines carry 51 more. 11 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.
- 2020-21-22Requires inspecting the tailcone and horizontal stabilizer for corrosion and cracks and repairing or replacing damaged parts as necessaryFuselage · AirplaneRepeat actionNov 2, 2020
- 2011-10-09Requires retaining all of the actions from the previous AD and adding steps to the inspection procedures in the previous ADStandard practices structures · AirplaneSupersedes 87-20-03 R2Repeat actionMay 13, 2011
What gets reported
19 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Reciprocating Engine Power Section11
- Nose/Tail Landing Gear2
- Reciprocating Engine Cylinder Section2
- Engine Mount Section1
- Wing Spar1
- Fuselage, Landing Gear Attach Fittings1
Parts reported most
- Lifter, damaged12
- Bracket, broken1
- Fork, cracked1
- Lifter, spalled1
- Spar, corroded1
- Bracket, cracked1
The latest reports
2025-08-01 · Nose/Tail Landing Gear · Fork, cracked
Upon inspection and cleaning of the abi 3413-01k tail wheel fork assy, a crack was discovered. photos upon request.
2024-10-03 · Engine Mount Section · Bracket, broken
Mounted in the rt front position, found broken during oil change.
2021-09-08 · Nose/Tail Landing Gear · Attach fitting, broken
While executing a wheel landing on rwy 29 at awo, upon touch down the aircraft began a gentle drift to the right which could not be corrected with left brake or left rudder. the aircraft continued to turn to the right, exited the runway onto the grass where its drift to the right tightened up to the point where the left wingtip and left horizontal stabilizer contacted the ground. the aircraft came
2020-11-15 · Wing Spar · Spar, corroded
The aircraft cabin headliner was removed for maintenance. after removal, severe intergranular corrosion was found on the carry through spar. this rendered the spar unairworthy and has to be replaced. after further investigation, it was discovered there was corrosion throughout the upper cabin structure. this corrosion was only in areas that were in contact with the headliner. after calling th
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
109 accidents since 2008, 13 fatal (21 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 1 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of control on ground45
- Loss of control in flight6
- System or component failure (not the engine)6
- Hard landing5
- Nose over/nose down5
- Loss of engine power (partial)4
Phase of flight
- Landing63
- Enroute12
- Takeoff12
- Initial climb6
- Maneuvering5
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-26 | Livingston, MT | Maneuvering: Loss of control in flight | None | WPR26LA360 |
| 2026-09-15 | Stony river, AK | Enroute: Unknown or undetermined | Fatal | ANC26FA105 |
| 2026-08-09 | Hope, AK | Landing: Landing area overshoot | Minor | ANC26LA081 |
| 2026-08-08 | Reno, NV | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | WPR26LA298 |
| 2026-06-27 | Angel fire, NM | Landing: Loss of control on ground | Minor | WPR26LA238 |
| 2026-05-31 | Steele creek, AK | Takeoff: Loss of control on ground | None | ANC26LA050 |
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 reciprocating engine power section and for damaged lifters: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 11 equipment ADs name the A185F (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 A185 family
Questions
- How many Cessna A185Fs are registered in the US?
- 1,105, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna A185F built?
- From about 1973 to 1985. Half of those registered today were built by 1977.
- What engine does the Cessna A185F have?
- Most have the Continental IO-520 (89% of those registered); others have the Continental IO-550.
- What are common problems with the Cessna A185F?
- In 19 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were reciprocating engine power section, nose/tail landing gear, reciprocating engine cylinder section, and the part most often reported was a damaged lifter.
- How many accidents has the Cessna A185F had?
- 109 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 13 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of control on ground. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Cessna A185F have?
- 16 current ADs name the A185F airframe, 2 of them with a repeat action, and 51 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.