How many accidents has the Cessna 152 had?

The NTSB has recorded 2435 events involving the Cessna 152: 255 fatal, 130 serious, 326 minor injuries, and 1714 incidents with no injuries.

Is the Cessna 152 a safe aircraft?

Safety depends on many factors beyond the aircraft model, including pilot training, maintenance, and weather conditions. The Cessna 152 has 2435 NTSB-recorded events. Always review individual reports for context — many events involve pilot error or weather, not aircraft defects.

Cessna 152 Safety Record

Complete NTSB accident and incident history. 2435 events recorded from 1982 to 2025.

2435

All Events

1714

Incidents

326

Minor

130

Serious

255

Fatal (386 fatalities)

Date	Location	Reg#	Severity	Damage	Probable Cause
Oct 25, 1991	WILLITS, CA	N24237	Minor	destroyed	THE PILOT'S POOR IN-FLIGHT DECISION TO CONTINUE HIS FLIGHT IN DETERIORATING WEATHER, AND HIS MISJUDGED WEATHER EVALUATION.
Sep 12, 1991	STILLWATER, OK	N93151	Minor	substantial	POWER LOSS DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO REFUEL. A FACTOR WAS: THE ROUGH UNEVEN TERRAIN.
Aug 12, 1991	BEAR MOUNTAIN, NY	N67393	Minor	destroyed	THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PREFLIGHT AND PLANNING, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION AND A FORCED LANDING IN WATER.
Jul 20, 1991	HILLIARD, FL	N48380	Minor	substantial	LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO UNDETERMINED REASONS, FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN VSO, AND INADVERTENT STALL MUSH. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS L… LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO UNDETERMINED REASONS, FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN VSO, AND INADVERTENT STALL MUSH. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF OPERATION.
Jul 09, 1991	INDIAN SPRINGS, NV	N5533B	Minor	substantial	FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING, AND FAILURE TO REFUEL THE AIRCRAFT. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: 1) THE PILOT BECOMING LOST/DISO… FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING, AND FAILURE TO REFUEL THE AIRCRAFT. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: 1) THE PILOT BECOMING LOST/DISORIENTED ; 2) THE DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS; 3) THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO SEEK HELP IN A TIMELY FASHION; AND 4) THE LOSS OF HIS EYEGLASSES WITH THE RESULTANT VISUAL PROBLEMS.
May 28, 1991	HILLSDALE, MI	N5299B	Minor	substantial	FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE TAKEOFF GROUND RUN. A FACTOR ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCIDENT IS THE PILOT'S LACK TOTAL E… FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE TAKEOFF GROUND RUN. A FACTOR ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCIDENT IS THE PILOT'S LACK TOTAL EXPERIENCE.
Mar 22, 1991	CALIFORNIA, MD	N757PH	Minor	destroyed	THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS RESULTING IN A FORCED LANDING AND ON GROUND COLLISION WITH TERRAIN.
Jan 27, 1991	MORES ISLAND, BF	N48793	Minor	substantial	Investigation pending
Dec 27, 1990	SOUTH BOSTON, VA	N48918	Minor	destroyed	THE STUDENT PILOT'S DELAY IN TAKING APPROPRIATE ACTION WHILE ENCOUNTERING ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: … THE STUDENT PILOT'S DELAY IN TAKING APPROPRIATE ACTION WHILE ENCOUNTERING ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT WERE WORSE THAN FORECAST, AND THE UNSUITABLE TERRAIN.
Dec 10, 1990	GILMER, TX	N68776	Minor	substantial	A POWER LOSS DUE TO THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF CARBURETOR HEAT.
Sep 21, 1990	HAYWARD, CA	N46326	Minor	substantial	THE FAILURE OF THE AIRPLANE'S MAIN LANDING GEAR BOLT/NUT PLATE ATTACHMENT ASSEMBLY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS RELATED TO THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION (THREADI… THE FAILURE OF THE AIRPLANE'S MAIN LANDING GEAR BOLT/NUT PLATE ATTACHMENT ASSEMBLY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS RELATED TO THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION (THREADING) OF THE GEAR BOLT/NUT ASSEMBLY.
Jul 14, 1990	GRAND MARAIS, MN	N21LA	Minor	substantial	UNDETERMINED PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING THE INITIAL CLIMBOUT. A FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR A FORCED LANDING.
Jul 03, 1990	HICKMAN, CA	N25899	Minor	substantial	THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PLANNING & DECISION, AN INADEQUATE FUEL SUPPLY, AND FUEL EXHAUSTION. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS RELATED TO THE FALSE INDICATION OF… THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PLANNING & DECISION, AN INADEQUATE FUEL SUPPLY, AND FUEL EXHAUSTION. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS RELATED TO THE FALSE INDICATION OF THE FUEL QUANTITY GAGES.
Jun 02, 1990	RIALTO, CA	N49796	Minor	substantial	PILOT'S INADEQUATE VISUAL OUTLOOK WHICH RESULTED IN AN INFLIGHT ENCOUNTER WITH WAKE TURBULENCE PRODUCED BY A HOVERING HELICOPTER.
May 22, 1990	ERIE, CO	N714UE	Minor	substantial	CFI'S FAILURE TO ENSURE THAT THE STUDENT PILOT MAINTAINED SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED, RESULTING IN THE INADVERTENT STALL/MUSH. A FACTOR WAS THE DOWNDRAFT EXP… CFI'S FAILURE TO ENSURE THAT THE STUDENT PILOT MAINTAINED SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED, RESULTING IN THE INADVERTENT STALL/MUSH. A FACTOR WAS THE DOWNDRAFT EXPERIENCED AT LOW ALTITUDE AFTER TAKEOFF.
May 19, 1990	DELTA, UT	N6392Q	Minor	substantial	THE PILOT'S LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING LANDING. FACTORS WERE GUSTING TAILWINDS AND THE PILOT SELECTED THE WRONG RUNWAY.
Feb 19, 1990	COLUMBIA, MO	N6377B	Minor	substantial	EXCESSIVE TAXI SPEED AND INADEQUATE VISUAL OUTLOOK BY THE PILOT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARK NIGHT AND THE DITCH.
Nov 07, 1989	TOLEDO, IA	N6449M	Minor	substantial	THE PILOT BECAME LOST/DISORIENTATED AND ATTEMPTED A LANDING AT THE WRONG AIRPORT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, UNFAVORABLE WIND CON… THE PILOT BECAME LOST/DISORIENTATED AND ATTEMPTED A LANDING AT THE WRONG AIRPORT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, UNFAVORABLE WIND CONDITION, AND THE STUDENT PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF OPERATION.
Oct 25, 1989	KINSTON, NC	N67318	Minor	substantial	THE PILOT'S DECISION TO DEPART FOR HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT WITH LESS THAN REQUIRED FUEL, AND HIS IMPROPER USE OF THE COMMUNICATIONS RADIO WHICH RESUL… THE PILOT'S DECISION TO DEPART FOR HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT WITH LESS THAN REQUIRED FUEL, AND HIS IMPROPER USE OF THE COMMUNICATIONS RADIO WHICH RESULTED IN HIS CIRCLING THE AIRPORT AND EXHAUSTING ALL FUEL.
Oct 24, 1989	THIBODAUX, LA	N4973B	Minor	substantial	STUDENT PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN OR MAINTAIN AIRSPEED DURING AN ABORTED LANDING, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL/MUSH. HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN… STUDENT PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN OR MAINTAIN AIRSPEED DURING AN ABORTED LANDING, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL/MUSH. HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN RUNWAY ALIGNMENT AND THE DITCH WERE RELATED FACTORS.
Sep 19, 1989	NEWARK, IL	N714XG	Minor	substantial	THE PILOT LANDED LONG AND FAILED TO MAKE A GO AROUND.
Sep 16, 1989	YULEE, FL	N67785	Minor	substantial	IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE STUDENT PILOT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE TREE AND DITCH IN THE … IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE STUDENT PILOT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE TREE AND DITCH IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Sep 09, 1989	ARDMORE, OK	N5316U	Minor	substantial	THE PILOT'S LOSS OF CONTROL DURING AN ATTEMPTED GO AROUND.
Aug 20, 1989	COLUMBUS, MS	N757WX	Minor	destroyed	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT DURING LANDING.
Aug 20, 1989	PENSACOLA, FL	N49938	Minor	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE CHECKLIST AND ENSURE THAT THE ELEVATOR TRIM TAB WAS ADJUSTED PROPERLY FOR TAKEOFF.

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 152 Safety Record

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