Cessna A185E Market Report
Single-Engine Piston · generated 2026-08-31 · fyiAero market data, FAA registry, NTSB, aircraft.com sold records.
Market summary
252in operation (FAA)
4for sale · 1.6% of fleet
$288kaverage asking
$282kmedian asking
22avg days on market
5registry transfers, 6 mo
11.3 yravg length of ownership
| Low | Avg | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asking price | $190k | $288k | $400k |
| Model year | 1970 | 1970 | 1971 |
| Airframe time | 986 | 4,607 | 7,963 |
| Days on market | — | 22 | 35 |
For sale & average asking by month reconstructed from listing history
| Month | For sale | Avg asking | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07 | 1 | $265k | |
| 2026-08 | 4 | $283k |
Features of aircraft for sale
| ADS-B | 50% (2) | |
| GPS navigator | 50% (2) | |
| Autopilot | 50% (2) | |
| Glass flight deck | 50% (2) | |
| FIKI | 0% (0) | |
| GTN 750 / 750Xi | 0% (0) |
Fleet & safety
110NTSB events, 10 yr
6fatal
80.6per 1,000 airframes
Where the fleet is based top states, FAA registry
| AK | 94 | |
| WA | 19 | |
| MT | 14 | |
| AZ | 11 | |
| MN | 11 | |
| TX | 10 | |
| CA | 9 | |
| CO | 8 | |
| ME | 8 | |
| FL | 7 |
136 of 252 are individually registered.
Registry transfers by month new registration certificates, 12 mo
| 2025-09 | 1 | |
| 2025-10 | 2 | |
| 2025-11 | 2 | |
| 2025-12 | 3 | |
| 2026-01 | 1 | |
| 2026-02 | 1 | |
| 2026-03 | 3 | |
| 2026-05 | 2 |
Aircraft for sale 4 units · asking vs fyiEstimate
| Year | Reg | Serial | Asking | fyiEstimate | vs est | TTAF | Engine | Seller | DOM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | N8536T | 18501784 | $265,000 | $314,000 | -16% | 6,009 | 170 | DAN HOWARD AIRCRAFT SALES | 35 |
| 1970 | — | $299,000 | $286,000 | +4% | 3,470 | — | Greg Hewitt | 8 | |
| 1970 | N87TM | 18501786 | $399,900 | $329,250 | +22% | 986 | 802 | AIRMART | 25 |
| 1971 | N70713 | 18501878 | $190,000 | $275,500 | -31% | 7,963 | 351 | Airside Aviation Inc | 22 |
Market by model year fleet · for sale · asking
| Year | Fleet | For sale | % | Low | Avg | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 36 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — | — |
| 1967 | 34 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — | — |
| 1968 | 18 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — | — |
| 1969 | 31 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — | — |
| 1970 | 30 | 3 | 10.0% | $265k | $321k | $400k |
| 1971 | 29 | 1 | 3.4% | $190k | $190k | $190k |
| 1972 | 30 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — | — |
| 1981 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — | — |
fyiEstimate values by model year and airframe time
| Model year | Units | Avg fyiEstimate |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3 | $309,750 |
| 1971 | 1 | $275,500 |
| Airframe hours | Units | Avg asking | Avg fyiEstimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–1,999 | 1 | $399,900 | $329,250 |
| 2,000–3,999 | 1 | $299,000 | $286,000 |
| 6,000–7,999 | 2 | $227,500 | $294,750 |
Recent market activity last 60 days
| Date | Event | Aircraft | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-12 | Newly listed | 1970 | $279k |
| 2026-08-09 | Newly listed | 1971 N70713 | $190k |
| 2026-08-06 | Newly listed | 1970 N87TM | $400k |
| 2026-07-27 | Newly listed | 1970 N8536T | $265k |
Sold aircraft.com sold records · last asking at sale
1sold records
$180kavg last asking
$180k – $180krange
| Month | Sold | Avg asking |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-08 | 1 | $180k |
| Date | Year | Reg | TTAF | Asking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-10 | 1969 | 2,287 | $180k |
Operating costs full cost analysis →
$35,918annual budget · 109 hrs
$179variable cost / hour
$1.22cost per nm
16.5gph fuel burn
fyiEstimate values are market estimates from comparable asking prices (which skew high versus sold prices), not certified appraisals. Fleet and ownership figures from the FAA Releasable Registry; "registry transfers" count new registration certificates issued. Sold records from aircraft.com reflect the last asking price, not the transaction price. Monthly history is reconstructed from when listings first and last appeared.
