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
Aug 04, 2015 La Blanca, GT TG-ZAB Fatal (1) destroyed Investigation pending
Aug 03, 2015 Miami, FL N6223D Incident substantial The student pilot's failure to maintain pitch control resulting in a hard landing and damage to the airplane firewall.
Jul 23, 2015 North Vernon, IN N133VU Incident substantial The pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during the landing touchdown, resulting in a hard landing.
Jul 19, 2015 Linden, NJ N962SP Incident substantial
The pilot’s delayed decision to reject the takeoff, which resulted in a runway overrun. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to proper…

The pilot’s delayed decision to reject the takeoff, which resulted in a runway overrun. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to properly configure the flaps for maximum takeoff performance with the airplane near its maximum gross weight.

Jul 17, 2015 Anoka, MN N6511V Incident substantial Failure of the left landing gear actuator for reasons that could not be determined because the actuator was not made available for examination.
Jul 03, 2015 Shenandoah, TX N2320U Minor substantial The pilot's delayed application of carburetor heat, which resulted in the total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing during cruise flight.
Jul 03, 2015 Lubbock, TX N6326J Incident substantial The student pilot's improper flare during landing which resulted in abnormal runway contact and damage to the firewall.
Jul 03, 2015 Bartlett, IL N62681 Fatal (1) destroyed
The pilot’s loss of airplane control for reasons that could not be determined because an examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact abno…

The pilot’s loss of airplane control for reasons that could not be determined because an examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact abnormalities.

Jun 26, 2015 Vernal, UT N3159E Incident substantial
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing in crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and an impact with an…

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing in crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and an impact with an airport sign.

Jun 25, 2015 Traverse City, MI N195NW Incident substantial The student pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during the landing, resulting in a hard landing.
Jun 22, 2015 Upperville, VA N5210A Incident substantial An inflight bird strike, which resulted in wing spar damage.
Jun 19, 2015 Shreveport, LA N5743A Fatal (1) substantial
The pilot's loss of airplane control during initial climb after takeoff for reasons that could not be determined because an examination of the airfram…

The pilot's loss of airplane control during initial climb after takeoff for reasons that could not be determined because an examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact anomalies.

Jun 10, 2015 Galesburg, IL N740SP Incident substantial
Firewall damage reported by maintenance personnel that occurred during an unknown phase of flight, because the accident flight and pilot could not be …

Firewall damage reported by maintenance personnel that occurred during an unknown phase of flight, because the accident flight and pilot could not be determined.

Jun 06, 2015 Cottonwood Falls, KS N2536L Incident substantial
The pilot's failure to attain adequate airspeed to climb the airplane out of ground effect, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a collision wit…

The pilot's failure to attain adequate airspeed to climb the airplane out of ground effect, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a collision with terrain.

Jun 06, 2015 Addison, TX N178AF Incident substantial The student pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during the landing touchdown, resulting in a hard landing.
Jun 01, 2015 Talkeetna, AK N8525U Serious (1) substantial
The other pilot’s failure to maintain an adequate visual lookout, which resulted in a midair collision. Contributing to the accident was the other pil…

The other pilot’s failure to maintain an adequate visual lookout, which resulted in a midair collision. Contributing to the accident was the other pilot’s failure to follow Federal Aviation Administration-recommended traffic pattern procedures.

May 28, 2015 State College, PA N2254U Incident substantial The student pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the approach to landing which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a hard landing.
May 28, 2015 Beaver Falls, PA N984WU Incident substantial The student pilot's failure to maintain airplane attitude control during the landing, resulting in a hard landing.
May 25, 2015 Mitchellville, MD N6155K Incident substantial The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing and damage to the airplane.
May 23, 2015 Sussex, NJ N9959V Minor substantial The pilot's failure to remove the gust lock during the preflight inspection, resulting in a loss of control and collision with trees during takeoff.
May 08, 2015 Davenport, CA N191TG Fatal (1) Undetermined because the airplane was not located.
May 07, 2015 Daytona Beach, FL N487ER Incident substantial
The landing airplane pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and ground collision with a …

The landing airplane pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and ground collision with a taxiing airplane.

May 03, 2015 Penn Yan, NY N3969L Fatal (1) substantial
The student pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during the initial climb. Contributing to the accident was the student's inappropriate config…

The student pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during the initial climb. Contributing to the accident was the student's inappropriate configuration of the airplane's wing flaps for the initial climb.

Apr 30, 2015 Los Angeles, CA N65813 Minor substantial The student pilot's failure to maintain attitude control during the landing flare, resulting in a hard landing.
Apr 24, 2015 Clearwater, FL N1576V Incident substantial The pilot's excessive airspeed during landing, which resulted in abnormal runway contact, a runway excursion, and substantial damage to the airplane.
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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