Aircraft model
CESSNA 210-5(205)
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
The Cessna 205, designated 210-5 on its type certificate, is a fixed-gear six-seat single derived directly from the retractable 210. Cessna built it for owners and operators who wanted the 210's cabin and load without the landing gear maintenance, and it became the ancestor of the whole 206 Stationair line.
It carries a genuine 1,560 lb — six people and bags — at 140 knots, which is a strong combination, and it has none of the 210's hydraulic gear complications. What it does share is the 2020 airworthiness directive on the wing spar carry-through issued after a fatal in-flight wing separation in the 210 series; the compliance status of that inspection is the first question to ask. Only two model years were built, so the fleet is small and some parts are 210-specific.
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Put CESSNA 210-5(205) side by side with up to two other models.
- CESSNA 210-5(205)
What it is
| Seats | 6 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | tricycle |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Continental IO-470-S |
| Horsepower | 260 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 |
| Production start | 1963 |
| Production end | 1964 |
| Endorsements required | high-performance |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 140 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 700 nm |
| Service ceiling | 17,700 ft |
| Climb rate | 965 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 54 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | 1,600 ft |
| Landing over 50 ft | 1,400 ft |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 6 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 1,560 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 1,182 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 3,300 lb |
| Empty weight | 1,740 lb |
| Usable fuel | 63 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 14.6 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $64,500 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $120,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 1,500 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $42,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $58,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 300 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 143 |
| Median year built | 1963.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 5 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 1 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 34.971 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 27.972 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 39 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 27.273 |
| Airworthiness directives | 5 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | ok |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 143 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 143 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: per 100 active aircraft · base 143 active.
Peer scores6
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 5-6 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | —1 |
| Severity | —2 |
| Access | 9.6 of 103 |
| Support | 6.4 of 104 |
| Liquidity | 8.6 of 105 |
- Accident record: class median 38.14 · 75 models in class.
- Severity: class median 10.
- Access: class median 1,826.5.
- Support: class median 74.
- Liquidity: class median 17.96.
- 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.