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 18, 2023 Bandera, WA N734LJ Incident substantial The pilot’s decision to land at a closed water-soaked grass runway, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Oct 06, 2023 Riesel, TX N2444H Incident substantial An in-flight collision with a bird.
Sep 30, 2023 Greensboro, GA N9522L Incident substantial The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a light pole during taxi.
Sep 27, 2023 Redding, CA N17274 Incident substantial The student pilot’s loss of airplane control during takeoff, which resulted in a bounced landing and impact with the airport’s windsock.
Sep 22, 2023 Midland, TX N391SP Incident substantial The student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing, and the nose landing gear collapse.
Sep 18, 2023 Winston-Salem, NC N1451U Incident substantial The pilot’s loss of directional control upon landing which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and left horizontal stabilizer.
Sep 13, 2023 West Bend, WI N529ER Incident substantial The pilot’s inadequate landing flare that resulted in a hard landing and impact with the runway.
Sep 03, 2023 Eden Prairie, MN N5254D Incident substantial The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during a landing with a left crosswind.
Sep 03, 2023 Neola, IA N1374F Incident substantial The pilot’s inadequate fuel planning and improper in-flight decision-making, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Aug 19, 2023 Santa Rosa, CA N3282L Incident substantial The pilot’s inadequate fuel management which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Aug 11, 2023 Port Norris, NJ N5453K Incident substantial The pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.
Aug 11, 2023 Derby, KS N6205E Incident substantial
The pilot’s loss of directional control during takeoff roll due the passenger’s interference with the rudder pedals, which resulted in a runway excurs…

The pilot’s loss of directional control during takeoff roll due the passenger’s interference with the rudder pedals, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Aug 10, 2023 Marysville, CA N20268 Incident substantial The flight instructor’s failure to monitor the airplane’s speed during a high-speed taxi, resulting in a runway excursion.
Aug 09, 2023 Princeton, NJ N172FW Incident substantial
The pilot’s inadequate compensation for the prevailing wind conditions during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent collision wi…

The pilot’s inadequate compensation for the prevailing wind conditions during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent collision with trees.
Aug 07, 2023 Waco, TX N6319G Incident substantial The solo student pilot’s improper descent path which resulted in a hard landing on the nose wheel and subsequent bounced landing.
Aug 02, 2023 Clewiston, FL N1403R Incident substantial
The student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing on the nose landing gear. Contributing to the accident was the flight ins…

The student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing on the nose landing gear. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the student pilot.
Jul 14, 2023 Kohnan, JA JA10AZ Incident minor Investigation pending
Jul 12, 2023 Greenwood, IN N701DE Incident substantial The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during takeoff.
Jul 05, 2023 Burlington, VT N64AF Incident substantial The student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
Jul 02, 2023 Kennesaw, GA N734YD Incident substantial The student pilot’s loss of directional control while landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with an airport sign.
Jun 30, 2023 Novato, CA N372AH Incident substantial
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll for a touch and go, which resulted in a collision with ter…

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll for a touch and go, which resulted in a collision with terrain.
Jun 30, 2023 Siloam Springs, AR N739GU Incident substantial The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines while on final approach to land.
Jun 23, 2023 Marana, AZ N84385 Incident substantial A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Jun 17, 2023 San Angelo, TX N7509X Incident substantial A partial loss of engine power due to loose bolts holding the carburetor throttle body to the fuel bowl.
Jun 05, 2023 Santa Monica, CA N819KS Incident substantial
A failure of the nose wheel upper torque link bolt, which resulted in a loss of steering control. Contributing to the accident were maintenance person…

A failure of the nose wheel upper torque link bolt, which resulted in a loss of steering control. Contributing to the accident were maintenance personnel’s failure to inspect and replace the fractured bolt and the pilot’s oversight of the bolt during his preflight inspection.
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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