How many accidents has the Cessna 172 had?

The NTSB has recorded 6810 events involving the Cessna 172: 960 fatal, 542 serious, 1048 minor injuries, and 4223 incidents with no injuries.

Is the Cessna 172 a safe aircraft?

Safety depends on many factors beyond the aircraft model, including pilot training, maintenance, and weather conditions. The Cessna 172 has 6810 NTSB-recorded events. Always review individual reports for context — many events involve pilot error or weather, not aircraft defects.

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
Oct 22, 1988	PEYTON, CO	N9062H	Minor	substantial	Investigation pending
Oct 22, 1988	PETALUMA, CA	N9372E	Fatal (2)	destroyed	PILOT USED POOR JUDGEMENT WHEN HE ATTEMPTED V.F.R. FLIGHT DURING INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND THAT HE ENCOUNTERED SPATIAL DISORIENTATION W… PILOT USED POOR JUDGEMENT WHEN HE ATTEMPTED V.F.R. FLIGHT DURING INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND THAT HE ENCOUNTERED SPATIAL DISORIENTATION WHEN HE ENTERED INTO THE CLOUDS.
Oct 19, 1988	UNION CITY, CA	N52222	Fatal (2)	destroyed	LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT BY THE PILOT WHEN HE INADVERTENTLY ENTERED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT … LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT BY THE PILOT WHEN HE INADVERTENTLY ENTERED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE, DARK NIGHT LIGHT CONDITIONS AND FOGGY WEATHER CONDITIONS, INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO IMC UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES, FAILURE TO PERFORM A WEATHER EVAULATION AFTER RECEIVING PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING, SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND LACK OF TOTAL INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.
Oct 17, 1988	ENGLEWOOD, CO	N53949	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Oct 11, 1988	LANCASTER, PA	N9108B	Minor	substantial	Investigation pending
Oct 09, 1988	CARBONDALE, IL	N98395	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Oct 09, 1988	WEST MEMPHIS, AR	N734BK	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Oct 08, 1988	DELTA, UT	N75666	Minor	substantial	Investigation pending
Oct 06, 1988	SANDSTON, VA	N739PE	Minor	substantial	Investigation pending
Oct 02, 1988	HOUSTON, TX	N89745	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Oct 02, 1988	AUBERRY, CA	N20680	Serious (1)	destroyed	Investigation pending
Oct 01, 1988	HARRISON, AR	N3943S	Minor	substantial	Investigation pending
Sep 30, 1988	NEW YORK, NY	N98305	Minor	destroyed	Investigation pending
Sep 29, 1988	QUESTA, NM	N8517B	Minor	substantial	Investigation pending
Sep 28, 1988	KEYSVILLE, VA	N85012	Incident	substantial	AIRCRAFT OVERRAN THE RUNWAY AFTER THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF BECAUSE THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT ACCELERATE TO TAKEOFF SPEED. A CONTRIBUTING CAUSE IS INAD… AIRCRAFT OVERRAN THE RUNWAY AFTER THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF BECAUSE THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT ACCELERATE TO TAKEOFF SPEED. A CONTRIBUTING CAUSE IS INADEQUATE PRELIGHT PLANNING. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS UPSLOPING HIGH GRASS COVERED TERRAIN AND FAILURE TO USE FLAPS.
Sep 25, 1988	CAMERON, MO	N2866Q	Minor	substantial	Investigation pending
Sep 23, 1988	LAKE WALES, FL	N8707U	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Sep 21, 1988	PANACEA, FL	N7048A	Incident	destroyed	Investigation pending
Sep 20, 1988	BANNING, CA	N7233Q	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Sep 19, 1988	BROOMFIELD, CO	N66076	Incident	destroyed	Investigation pending
Sep 17, 1988	ADAMS, MA	N6586J	Fatal (2)	destroyed	PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING AND IMPROPER INFLIGHT DECISIONS, HE CONTINUED VFR INTO IFR CONDITIONS. THE AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER SERV… PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING AND IMPROPER INFLIGHT DECISIONS, HE CONTINUED VFR INTO IFR CONDITIONS. THE AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER SERVICE WAS IMPROPER.
Sep 17, 1988	TRUCKEE, CA	N6406D	Minor	substantial	Investigation pending
Sep 16, 1988	GREELEY, CO	N97890	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Sep 11, 1988	FAIRFIELD, CA	N5149F	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Sep 11, 1988	SHELTON, WA	N54867	Serious (3)	destroyed	Investigation pending

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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Cessna 172 Safety Record

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