Aircraft model
CESSNA 180K
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
The final Skywagon 180, built 1977-1981, with the later O-470 variants carrying a 2,000-hour recommended overhaul life and the option of much larger fuel tanks. It is the most developed version of an aeroplane that has never really been replaced: a 230 hp tailwheel four-to-six-seater that will operate from surfaces most aircraft cannot use.
Because it is the last and lowest-time version, the 180K is the most expensive, and prices have climbed steadily for two decades. What you get for the premium is a better engine, a better interior and usually a lower-hour airframe; what you do not escape is the tailwheel. This is a powerful taildragger and the accident record is dominated by loss of directional control on landing — real currency and a tailwheel endorsement are not formalities. Insurance is priced accordingly. Inspect the gear box, spar carry-through and tailcone, and treat any float or ski history as a reason for a more thorough corrosion survey.
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Put CESSNA 180K side by side with up to two other models.
- CESSNA 180K
What it is
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | taildragger |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Continental O-470-S/U |
| Horsepower | 230 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 |
| Production start | 1977 |
| Production end | 1981 |
| Endorsements required | high-performance;tailwheel |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 143 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 700 nm |
| Service ceiling | 19,600 ft |
| Climb rate | 1,090 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 48 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | 1,205 ft |
| Landing over 50 ft | 1,365 ft |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 1,120 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 754 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 2,800 lb |
| Empty weight | 1,680 lb |
| Usable fuel | 61 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 12.9 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $150,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $300,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 2,000 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $40,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $55,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 385 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 274 |
| Median year built | 1978.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 16 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 0 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 58.391 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 51.092 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 42 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 15.333 |
| Airworthiness directives | 8 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | ok |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 274 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 274 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: per 100 active aircraft · base 274 active.
Peer scores6
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 3-4 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | 2 of 101 |
| Severity | 8.9 of 102 |
| Access | 0.9 of 103 |
| Support | 6.1 of 104 |
| Liquidity | 1.6 of 105 |
| Overall (sum of the categories shown) | 19.5 out of 506 |
- Accident record: class median 32.28 · 202 models in class.
- Severity: class median 12.5.
- Access: class median 775.
- Support: class median 147.5.
- Liquidity: class median 19.9.
- Each of the five categories places the model within its peer class, from 0 (the worst of the class) to 10 (the best): a position among comparable models, not a grade. The overall score is the sum of the categories shown that are scored, out of 10 for each (50 when all five are); it is given only when at least 4 of the five are scored, and it can be set against another model's only when both are in the same peer class and scored on the same categories.