How many accidents has the Cessna 172S had?

The NTSB has recorded 410 events involving the Cessna 172S: 45 fatal, 16 serious, 35 minor injuries, and 310 incidents with no injuries.

Is the Cessna 172S a safe aircraft?

Safety depends on many factors beyond the aircraft model, including pilot training, maintenance, and weather conditions. The Cessna 172S has 410 NTSB-recorded events. Always review individual reports for context — many events involve pilot error or weather, not aircraft defects.

Cessna 172S Safety Record

Complete NTSB accident and incident history. 410 events recorded from 1999 to 2025.

410

All Events

310

Incidents

Minor

Serious

Fatal (80 fatalities)

Date	Location	Reg#	Severity	Damage	Probable Cause
Mar 27, 2003	CLEVELAND, OH	N613SP	Incident	substantial	The student pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Feb 19, 2003	Flemington, NJ	N197ME	Incident	substantial	The manufacturer's improper assembly of the accessory drive section of the engine.
Feb 09, 2003	Everett, WA	N912LB	Incident	substantial	The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight. Contributing factors were the rime icing… The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight. Contributing factors were the rime icing conditions, and the soft terrain encountered on the off runway rollout.
Jan 11, 2003	Mt. Pleasant, SC	N5199H	Incident	substantial	The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a loss of control and collision with terrain.
Jan 08, 2003	Springdale, AR	N142ME	Incident	substantial	The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing. A contributing factor was the prevailing crosswind.
Dec 26, 2002	Akron, OH	N782SP	Incident	substantial	The pilot's improper flare which resulted in a hard landing.
Dec 24, 2002	Tea, SD	N692SP	Incident	substantial	The student pilot's improper flare. The pilot's lack of experience and diverted attention were factors.
Sep 21, 2002	Boyne Falls, MI	N784SA	Incident	substantial	The pilot's improper flare during landing.
Sep 06, 2002	Immokalee, FL	N827SP	Incident	substantial	The student pilot's improper flare at touchdown resulted in a hard landing while performing an off-airport precautionary landing after the inadvertent… The student pilot's improper flare at touchdown resulted in a hard landing while performing an off-airport precautionary landing after the inadvertent activation of the autopilot.
Aug 04, 2002	Englewood, CO	N238SP	Incident	substantial	the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight and his premature raising of the flaps, resulting in a hard landing.
Jun 13, 2002	Kill Devil Hill, NC	N793SP	Incident	substantial	the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane after an attempted aborted landing, and while braking during the landing roll, which resulted … the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane after an attempted aborted landing, and while braking during the landing roll, which resulted in the airplane departing the end of the runway and impacting with a ditch.
Jun 06, 2002	MONTEREY, CA	N748SP	Incident	substantial	The pilot was unfamiliar with the airplane's systems and failed to set the elevator trim in accordance with the published checklist.
May 20, 2002	SCOTTSDALE, AZ	N3547H	Incident	substantial	the student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing and failure to maintain directional control on the landing roll, which resulted in a coll… the student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing and failure to maintain directional control on the landing roll, which resulted in a collision with a runway sign.
Apr 28, 2002	Daytona Beach, FL	N786SP	Incident	substantial	the pilot misjudged the landing flare, resulting in a hard landing, and damage to the airplane.
Apr 10, 2002	Angel Fire, NM	N960TA	Incident	substantial	The pilots failure to maintain directional control during the crosswind landing. A contributing factor was the gusting wind condition.
Apr 05, 2002	Phoenix, AZ	N3512T	Incident	substantial	the pilot flaring the airplane too high above the runway causing a stall and resulting in the hard landing. Factors relating to the accident were the… the pilot flaring the airplane too high above the runway causing a stall and resulting in the hard landing. Factors relating to the accident were the light conditions (dusk) and the pilot's lack of total experience in the type of airplane.
Apr 03, 2002	PALM SPRINGS, CA	N627SP	Incident	substantial	The pilot lost directional control and collided with a runway edge light and taxiway sign.
Feb 23, 2002	New Holstein, WI	N26105	Incident	substantial	The pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions which resulted in the failure to maintain directional control of the airplane. Factors as… The pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions which resulted in the failure to maintain directional control of the airplane. Factors associated with the accident were the gusty crosswind condition and the runway marker sign which the airplane contacted.
Jan 12, 2002	Sugar Land, TX	N497SJ	Incident	substantial	the student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Nov 11, 2001	Sarasota, FL	N24485	Incident	substantial	The operators failure to ensure adequate training had been provided to the student pilot in autopilot operations, and the student pilot's failure to c… The operators failure to ensure adequate training had been provided to the student pilot in autopilot operations, and the student pilot's failure to comply/ follow written instructions (Federal Regulations/172 Skyhawk Information Manual) pertaining to the failure of the autopilot, autopilot trim, or manual electric trim malfunction. This resulted in a reported failure of the autopilot trim to disconnect on initial takeoff for undetermined reasons, loss of aircraft control on landing (porpoise), and subsequent hard landing on the nose gear.
Aug 21, 2001	Gadsden, AL	N764SP	Incident	substantial	the pilot misjudged the flare, resulting in a hard landing, and impact with the runway.
Jul 29, 2001	Scottsdale, AZ	N3532T	Incident	substantial	The pilot's misjudged landing flare, which lead to a hard landing, inadvertent porpoise, and his improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Jul 11, 2001	Lake in the Hil, IL	N795SP	Incident	substantial	The student pilot misjudging the flare during that landing. Factors were the wrong runway selected by the student pilot, the tailwinds encountered du… The student pilot misjudging the flare during that landing. Factors were the wrong runway selected by the student pilot, the tailwinds encountered during that landing and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision during that landing.
Jun 16, 2001	CAMBRIDGE, NE	N494SP	Incident	substantial	the pilot's high airspeed and improper emergency procedures during the emergency landing. Factors relating to this accident were the fractured engine… the pilot's high airspeed and improper emergency procedures during the emergency landing. Factors relating to this accident were the fractured engine exhaust valve push rod, the bent intake valve push rod, and oil exhaustion during cruise flight, the tailwind, and the pilot's incorrect evaluation of the wind conditions during the emergency landing.
Jun 12, 2001	Baton Rouge, LA	N749SP	Incident	substantial	the student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.

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 172S Safety Record

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