Aircraft model
CESSNA AIRCRAFT CO 162
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
The Skycatcher was Cessna's light sport aircraft, built 2009-2013: a two-seat all-metal trainer with a Continental O-200-D, a Garmin G300 panel and doors that swing up. Cessna intended it to replace the 152 in flight schools and to bring new pilots into the brand.
It failed commercially and that history is the buying consideration. Two prototypes were lost in spin testing during certification, which required aerodynamic changes and did lasting damage to the aeroplane's reputation; production was moved to China, costs rose, and Cessna cancelled it after about 275 aircraft and reportedly scrapped unsold airframes. The result is a tiny fleet with limited parts support from a manufacturer that has publicly walked away from the type. It flies pleasantly and is efficient, but it should be bought only with that support position understood.
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Put CESSNA AIRCRAFT CO 162 side by side with up to two other models.
- CESSNA AIRCRAFT CO 162
What it is
| Seats | 2 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | tricycle |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Continental O-200-D |
| Horsepower | 100 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | LSA |
| Production start | 2009 |
| Production end | 2013 |
| Endorsements required | — |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 118 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 470 nm |
| Service ceiling | 15,500 ft |
| Climb rate | 890 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 40 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | 1,320 ft |
| Landing over 50 ft | 1,335 ft |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 2 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 490 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 346 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 1,320 lb |
| Empty weight | 830 lb |
| Usable fuel | 24 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 5.6 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $55,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $80,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 1,800 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $24,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $34,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 302 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 175 |
| Median year built | 2011.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 18 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 1 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 102.861 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 45.712 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 78 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 44.573 |
| Airworthiness directives | 0 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | ok |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 175 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 175 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: per 100 active aircraft · base 175 active.
Peer scores6
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 1-2 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | 2.3 of 101 |
| Severity | 6 of 102 |
| Access | 9.4 of 103 |
| Support | 7.4 of 104 |
| Liquidity | 9.6 of 105 |
| Overall (sum of the categories shown) | 34.7 out of 506 |
- Accident record: class median 29.1 · 174 models in class.
- Severity: class median 9.09.
- Access: class median 974.
- Support: class median 81.
- Liquidity: class median 20.47.
- 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.