How many accidents has the Cessna 170B had?

The NTSB has recorded 405 events involving the Cessna 170B: 29 fatal, 26 serious, 39 minor injuries, and 311 incidents with no injuries.

Is the Cessna 170B a safe aircraft?

Safety depends on many factors beyond the aircraft model, including pilot training, maintenance, and weather conditions. The Cessna 170B has 405 NTSB-recorded events. Always review individual reports for context — many events involve pilot error or weather, not aircraft defects.

Cessna 170B Safety Record

Complete NTSB accident and incident history. 405 events recorded from 1982 to 2025.

405

All Events

311

Incidents

Minor

Serious

Fatal (47 fatalities)

Date	Location	Reg#	Severity	Damage	Probable Cause
Oct 11, 1991	CHUGIAK, AK	N4606C	Incident	substantial	THE STUDENT PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE TAKEOFF RUN.
Aug 31, 1991	FRANKFORT, IL	N8244A	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS A CROSSWIND.
Aug 26, 1991	HEBER CITY, UT	N4653C	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING LANDING GROUND ROLL. A FACTOR RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE CROSSWIND WEATHER CONDITION… THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING LANDING GROUND ROLL. A FACTOR RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE CROSSWIND WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Jul 04, 1991	PROSPECT CREEK, AK	N3158A	Incident	substantial	CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) BY THE PILOT, AND HIS DELAY IN REVERSING COURSE (REMEDIAL ACTION). THE TERRAIN A… CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) BY THE PILOT, AND HIS DELAY IN REVERSING COURSE (REMEDIAL ACTION). THE TERRAIN AND WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE RELATED FACTORS.
Jul 02, 1991	CORDOVA, AK	N2765D	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE TAKEOFF GROUND RUN AND THE INTENTIONAL GROUND LOOP BY THE PILOT. THE CROSSWIND WAS A FA… THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE TAKEOFF GROUND RUN AND THE INTENTIONAL GROUND LOOP BY THE PILOT. THE CROSSWIND WAS A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT.
Jun 30, 1991	LAKE LOUISE, AK	N4659C	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT NOT MAINTAINING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE ROUGH CONDITION OF THE AIRSTRIP.
Jun 03, 1991	ANCHORAGE, AK	N1658D	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING ROLL. THE UNFAVORABLE WIND WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Apr 07, 1991	NEWBURYPORT, MA	N3108A	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT FAILING TO COMPENSATE ADEQUATELY FOR ADVERSE WIND CONDITIONS DURING TAKEOFF.
Jan 26, 1991	ROCHESTER, IN	N4414B	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS. A FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE CROSSWIND.
Oct 20, 1990	MAQUOKETA, IA	N1692D	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE COMMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS.
Aug 16, 1990	FREDERICK, MD	N8239A	Incident	substantial	FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WHEEL AXLE.
Jul 04, 1990	ANCHORAGE, AK	N3261A	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED ON INITIAL CLIMBOUT.
Jun 30, 1990	ANCHORAGE, AK	N8054A	Incident	substantial	A POWER LOSS DUE TO A FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE #5 EXHAUST ROCKER ARM.
Jun 22, 1990	PORT CHALMERS, AK	N2556C	Incident	substantial	PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY CALCULATE THE AIRPLANE'S TAKEOFF PERFORMANCE AND THE EFFECT OF THE CROSSWIND.
Jun 10, 1990	CONCORD, CA	N2672D	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT FAILED MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL BY HIS FAILURE TO COMPENSATE FOR THE EXISTING WIND CONDITIONS.
May 17, 1990	HAINES, AK	N2300D	Incident	substantial	FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT GROUND SWERVE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE GUSTY … FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT GROUND SWERVE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE GUSTY CROSSWIND CONDITION, AND PILOT FATIGUE.
May 06, 1990	ANCHORAGE, AK	N4538C	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING THE LANDING ROLL, WHICH RESULTED IN A GROUND SWERVE.
Apr 22, 1990	ENGLEWOOD, CO	N8074A	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING THE LANDING. THE CROSSWIND CONDITION WAS A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT.
Apr 01, 1990	WINCHESTER, VA	N2521C	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ASSURE THAT THE AIRPLANE WOULD CLEAR THE FENCE AFTER TAKEOFF.
Mar 17, 1990	SULATNA CROSS, AK	N4659C	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT FAILED TO ADEQUATELY ASSESS THE EXISTING SNOW CONDITIONS AND SURROUNDING TERRAIN (PREFLIGHT PLANNING) PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR… THE PILOT FAILED TO ADEQUATELY ASSESS THE EXISTING SNOW CONDITIONS AND SURROUNDING TERRAIN (PREFLIGHT PLANNING) PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE LIGHTING CONDITIONS, THE PILOT'S OVER CONFIDENCE IN THE AIRPLANE'S PERFORMANCE CAPABILITIES AND THE SNOW COVERED TERRAIN.
Nov 25, 1989	CHUGIAK, AK	N4396B	Incident	substantial	THE STUDENT PILOT'S IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION AND HIS DELAY IN INITIATING A GO-AROUND. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE STUDENT'S OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS… THE STUDENT PILOT'S IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION AND HIS DELAY IN INITIATING A GO-AROUND. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE STUDENT'S OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS PERSONAL ABILITIES, HIS SELECTION OF THE WRONG RUNWAY, THE RESULTANT TAILWIND, AND ICY RUNWAY CONDITIONS.
Oct 23, 1989	NEW BOSTON, TX	N8188A	Incident	substantial	A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS. THE DIRT BANK CONTACTED DURING THE LANDING IS CONSIDERED TO BE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
Oct 06, 1989	BURLINGTON, CT	N727Z	Incident	substantial	THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDING WITH A STEEL DRUM PLACED ON THE RUNWAY BY UNKNOWN PERSON(S) TO MARK A POTHOLE AREA.
Aug 05, 1989	BOULDER, CO	N2549D	Incident	substantial	THE STUDENT PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING LANDING ROLL DUE TO IMPROPER USE OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS.
Jul 24, 1989	BRICKTOWN, NJ	N8388A	Incident	substantial	UNDETERMINED. THE TERRAIN WAS A RELATED FACTOR.

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 170B Safety Record

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