How many Cessna P210Ns are registered in the US?

417, in the FAA aircraft registry.

When was the Cessna P210N built?

From about 1978 to 1983. Half of those registered today were built by 1979.

What engine does the Cessna P210N have?

Most have the Continental TSIO-520 (88% of those registered); others have the Rolls-Royce 250.

What are common problems with the Cessna P210N?

In 9 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were dc generator-alternator, aircraft fuel distribution system, landing gear retraction/extension system, and the part most often reported was a broken drive belt.

How many accidents has the Cessna P210N had?

62 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 9 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of engine power (total). These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.

How many Airworthiness Directives does the Cessna P210N have?

23 current ADs name the P210N airframe, 1 of them with a repeat action, and 98 more name its engines. Whether each applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number and installed equipment.

Ownership guide

Cessna P210N Pressurized Centurion

417 registered in the US, built from about 1978 to 1983, 6 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: 417
Built: 1978 to 1983
Half built by: 1979
Seats: 6
Engine type: Piston
Most common engine: Continental TSIO-520

Engines installed

Continental TSIO-520369 aircraft (88%) · 45 ADs, 3 with a repeat action
Rolls-Royce 2508 aircraft (2%) · 53 ADs, 4 with a repeat action

From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.

Airworthiness Directives

23 current ADs name the P210N airframe, 1 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded. Its engines carry 98 more. 12 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.

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

Every AD for the Cessna P210N

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

DC Generator-Alternator1
Aircraft Fuel Distribution System1
Landing Gear Retraction/Extension System1
Weather Radar System1
Nose/Tail Landing Gear Attach Section1
Reciprocating Engine Power Section1

Parts reported most

Drive belt, broken1
Line, leaking1
Barrel, broken1
Radar, damaged1
Brace, cracked1
Lifter, spalled1

The latest reports

2025-10-01 · Flight Compartment Equipment · Pin, disengaged
Seat back cam retaining pins loose, missing and or sheared found safety-wired in place. there appears to be many of these infinite adjustable lower seat frames with the nas split-pins safety-wired in place. there is no requirement to add safety-wire to these split pins and is a poor maintenance practice as it mask the issue of loose pins being held in place. therefore, during periodic inspections
2025-05-23 · Hydraulic Pump (Electric/Engine), Main · Pump, leaking
Failed during landing. upon inspection after a collapse of landing gear upon touchdown incident, the hydraulic pump was found to be leaking internally.
2023-03-08 · Landing Gear Retraction/Extension System · Barrel, broken
The shape of the forward nose gear door hinges do not allow the doors to open with the barrel linkage disconnected. if the barrel linkage breaks, the nose gear will not push the gear doors open. if the hinges were shaped slightly different, this problem would be eliminated. the "c" shape of the hinges could be opened up to allow the doors to open by gravity if the barrel linkage breaks or becomes
2020-07-31 · DC Generator-Alternator · Drive belt, broken
While inbound to sna the aircraft radios went dead and the battery went dead. the pilot contacted sna tower using his cell phone and was cleared to land. after landing it was discovered the alternator drive belt failed and the aircraft was running on battery power until the battery was drained.

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

62 accidents since 2008, 9 fatal (18 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 5 aircraft destroyed.

What happened

Loss of engine power (total)12
Landing gear collapse8
Loss of engine power (partial)5
Loss of control in flight4
Landing gear not configured4
Electrical system malf/failure3

Phase of flight

Landing20
Enroute15
Initial climb9
Approach7
Takeoff4

The latest

Date	Where	What happened	Injuries	NTSB number
2026-09-13	San luis obispo, CA	Landing: Landing gear collapse	None	WPR26LA340
2026-06-05	Santa teresa, NM	Landing: Loss of control in flight	Serious	WPR26LA212
2025-09-13	Victorville, CA	Landing: Landing gear collapse	None	WPR25LA282
2025-03-11	Roswell, NM	Enroute: Electrical system malf/failure	None	WPR25LA111
2025-01-18	Prescott, AZ	Approach: Loss of engine power (partial)	None	WPR25LA084
2024-06-13	Reno, NV	Initial climb: Electrical system malf/failure	None	WPR24LA230

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

Hours flown a yearhr/yrFuel burngal/hrTypical cruise; your POH and how you fly decide it.Fuel price$/galEngine overhaul$A quote from an engine shop.Hours to overhaulhrThe engine maker's published time between overhauls.Maintenance reserve$/hrEverything else that wears: tires, brakes, avionics, the unexpected.

Per year, flown or not

Insurance$/yrHangar or tiedown$/yrAnnual inspection$/yrLoan payments$/yrEverything else$/yrSubscriptions, database updates, the property tax some states charge.

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 dc generator-alternator and for broken drive belts: they are what gets reported most on this model.
12 equipment ADs name the P210N (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 P210 family

Cessna P210R · 22

Questions

How many Cessna P210Ns are registered in the US?: 417, in the FAA aircraft registry.
When was the Cessna P210N built?: From about 1978 to 1983. Half of those registered today were built by 1979.
What engine does the Cessna P210N have?: Most have the Continental TSIO-520 (88% of those registered); others have the Rolls-Royce 250.
What are common problems with the Cessna P210N?: In 9 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were dc generator-alternator, aircraft fuel distribution system, landing gear retraction/extension system, and the part most often reported was a broken drive belt.
How many accidents has the Cessna P210N had?: 62 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 9 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of engine power (total). These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
How many Airworthiness Directives does the Cessna P210N have?: 23 current ADs name the P210N airframe, 1 of them with a repeat action, and 98 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.