Cessna 172 Safety Record

Complete NTSB accident and incident history. 6810 events recorded from 1974 to 2026.

6810

All Events

4223

Incidents

1048

Minor

542

Serious

960

Fatal (1802 fatalities)

Date Location Reg# Severity Damage Probable Cause
Mar 10, 2004 Knoxville, TN N6257F Minor substantial
The CFI's inadequate in-flight planning/decision and his inadequate supervision which resulted in fuel exhaustion. A factor was the inadequate prefli…

The CFI's inadequate in-flight planning/decision and his inadequate supervision which resulted in fuel exhaustion. A factor was the inadequate preflight planning/preparation to ensure an adequate fuel supply, and the berm.

Mar 09, 2004 Dubuque, IA N105FS Minor substantial
The flight instructor's inadequate in-flight planning/decision which resulted in ice accretion on the airframe, and his failure to maintain adequate a…

The flight instructor's inadequate in-flight planning/decision which resulted in ice accretion on the airframe, and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed resulting in a stall. Contributing factors were the ice contamination, the aircraft's low altitude and the flight instructor's flight into known icing conditions in an aircraft not equipped with deice/anti-icing equipment.

Mar 07, 2004 Stevensville, MD N317ME Incident substantial The student pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while landing. A factor was the student pilot's lack of experience.
Mar 03, 2004 Gig Harbor, WA N75844 Incident substantial
The pilot's failure to follow the published IFR procedure resulting in failure to maintain clearance from objects during an instrument approach. Tree…

The pilot's failure to follow the published IFR procedure resulting in failure to maintain clearance from objects during an instrument approach. Trees and an inoperative glide slope receiver were factors.

Feb 29, 2004 Angleton, TX N79502 Incident destroyed The unqualified person's failure to maintain clearance with the power lines. A contributing factor was the night light conditions.
Feb 23, 2004 Youngstown, OH N738EK Incident substantial An inadvertent collision with a deer while landing.
Feb 21, 2004 Lutz, FL N612CB Incident substantial The student pilot's misjudged landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent collapse of the nose landing gear.
Feb 19, 2004 Clewiston, FL N124ER Incident substantial
The student pilot's misjudged landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing, a collapse of the nose wheel landing gear, and the airplane nosing over…

The student pilot's misjudged landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing, a collapse of the nose wheel landing gear, and the airplane nosing over when it encountered a ditch.

Feb 16, 2004 Batavia, OH N121UC Incident substantial The student pilot's improper flare and improper recover from a bounced landing, which resulted in a hard landing.
Feb 15, 2004 Riverside, CA N262TA Incident substantial
the pilot's inadequate visual lookout, which resulted in his failure to maintain proper alignment with the taxiway. Factors in the accident were the …

the pilot's inadequate visual lookout, which resulted in his failure to maintain proper alignment with the taxiway. Factors in the accident were the dusk lighting conditions and pilot not understanding the ground control taxi clearance.

Feb 15, 2004 Batavia, NY N369WP Incident substantial The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing. Factors were a tailwind and icy runway.
Feb 14, 2004 West Dover, VT N8880V Incident substantial
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control, and his failure to perform a go-around. Factors were wind gusts and the pilot's lack of flight expe…

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control, and his failure to perform a go-around. Factors were wind gusts and the pilot's lack of flight experience.

Feb 13, 2004 Parowan, UT N9892J Incident substantial the pilot's in-flight decision/planning which resulted in fuel exhaustion. The fence and night conditions were contributing factors.
Feb 13, 2004 Upland, CA N5107K Minor substantial A partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons during takeoff.
Feb 12, 2004 Easton, MD N734AT Incident substantial The student pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Feb 07, 2004 Cumberland, MD N61648 Incident substantial The pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind while landing. A factor was the crosswind.
Feb 07, 2004 McKinney, TX N2124Z Incident destroyed The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the aircraft during the take-off roll.
Feb 07, 2004 Cahokia, IL N738EJ Incident substantial
The inadequate supervision by the certified flight instructor which lead to the student pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the snowbank during…

The inadequate supervision by the certified flight instructor which lead to the student pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the snowbank during the landing. The snowbank was a factor.

Feb 05, 2004 Fredrick, MD N5165M Incident substantial The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing. A factor was the snow bank.
Jan 28, 2004 Rigby, ID N734CB Serious (2) substantial
The flight instructor's failure to follow procedures, i.e., operating the non-icing certified aircraft in known icing conditions contrary to the pilot…

The flight instructor's failure to follow procedures, i.e., operating the non-icing certified aircraft in known icing conditions contrary to the pilot operators handbook which resulted in ice accretion and ultimately a stall and loss of control in flight. Contributing factors were the icing conditions and degraded aircraft performance.

Jan 28, 2004 Jeffersonville, IN N70256 Incident substantial
The pilot selecting a closed runway for landing and the collapse of the nose landing gear. Factors were the pilot's failure to obtain NOTAM informati…

The pilot selecting a closed runway for landing and the collapse of the nose landing gear. Factors were the pilot's failure to obtain NOTAM information and the snowbank across the closed runway.

Jan 25, 2004 Girdwood, AK N1361U Incident substantial
The pilot's delay in aborting the takeoff, which resulted in an overrun and collision with a snowbank. A factor in the accident was an inoperative ai…

The pilot's delay in aborting the takeoff, which resulted in an overrun and collision with a snowbank. A factor in the accident was an inoperative airspeed indicator.

Jan 20, 2004 Grass Valley, CA N99LR Fatal (2) destroyed
the pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions and failure to maintain an adequate terrain/object clearance altitude. …

the pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions and failure to maintain an adequate terrain/object clearance altitude. Also causal was the pilot's improper in-flight decision to return to the origin airport in the face of deteriorating weather conditions instead of diverting to a more suitable alternate.

Jan 20, 2004 Granada Hills, CA N5364K Incident substantial the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and loss of engine power due to an inadequate fuel supply.
Jan 13, 2004 Enumclaw, WA N64ML Incident substantial
A loss of engine power while maneuvering due to the failure of the heads of six of the eight cam followers. Factors include the pilot's decision to k…

A loss of engine power while maneuvering due to the failure of the heads of six of the eight cam followers. Factors include the pilot's decision to keep the gear retracted during the forced landing, and the rough/uneven terrain.

Disclaimer: This data is sourced from the NTSB Aviation Accident Database. NTSB events reflect reported accidents and incidents and do not necessarily indicate a defect in the aircraft type. Many events involve pilot error, weather conditions, maintenance issues, or other factors unrelated to the aircraft design. This information is provided for research purposes only — consult official NTSB reports for complete details.
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