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
Nov 09, 2005 Arlington, TX N5437J Incident substantial The students improper recovery from a bounced landing. A contributing factor was the pilots excessive airspeed on final approach.
Nov 08, 2005 Lehighton, PA N7684G Incident substantial
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power during takeoff due to fuel contamination, and a subsequent…

The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power during takeoff due to fuel contamination, and a subsequent forced landing to a field.

Nov 07, 2005 Perry, GA N3015E Incident substantial
The student pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during a touch-and-go landing on initial takeoff climb, resulting in a hard landing on the departure …

The student pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during a touch-and-go landing on initial takeoff climb, resulting in a hard landing on the departure runway.

Nov 07, 2005 Essequibo Coast, GY 8R-GVL Incident minor Investigation pending
Nov 06, 2005 Sherman, TX N2884E Incident substantial The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff.
Nov 05, 2005 Laurel, DE N3540U Minor substantial
The pilot's improper decision to takeoff from an unimproved field, and his subsequent failure to abort the takeoff prior to collision with a sign and …

The pilot's improper decision to takeoff from an unimproved field, and his subsequent failure to abort the takeoff prior to collision with a sign and an embankment. Factors in the accident were his improper soft field technique, and the dark night conditions.

Nov 03, 2005 Timehri, GY 8R-GGW Incident minor Investigation pending
Nov 01, 2005 Daytona Beach, FL N442ER Incident substantial The pilots inadequate landing flare/touchdown which resulted in a hard landing.
Oct 24, 2005 Barcelona, SP EC-EME Fatal (4) destroyed Investigation pending
Oct 23, 2005 Naknek, AK N6832A Incident substantial
The pilot's inadequate removal of frost from the wings, and his failure to attain adequate airspeed during takeoff initial climb, which resulted in a …

The pilot's inadequate removal of frost from the wings, and his failure to attain adequate airspeed during takeoff initial climb, which resulted in a stall and collision with terrain. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot's delayed aborted takeoff, and an inadvertent stall.

Oct 21, 2005 Gleneden Beach, OR N6000A Incident substantial
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from objects while maneuvering over the airport environment. Dark night conditions, trees, and ground fog w…

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from objects while maneuvering over the airport environment. Dark night conditions, trees, and ground fog were factors.

Oct 21, 2005 West Milford, NJ N46475 Incident substantial A loss of aircraft control as a result of the installation of an improper pilot seat which moved during the takeoff roll/run..
Oct 18, 2005 Bunnell, FL N2621U Incident substantial
The pilot's misjudged distance/speed, and his delayed braking during landing, which resulted in the airplane overrunning the runway and impacting a di…

The pilot's misjudged distance/speed, and his delayed braking during landing, which resulted in the airplane overrunning the runway and impacting a ditch.

Oct 17, 2005 Hitchcock, TX N53795 Minor substantial A loss of engine power due to a cracked cylinder.
Oct 16, 2005 La Belle, FL N99173 Fatal (1) substantial
The student pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during the initial takeoff climb, resulting in an inadvertent stall/spin and uncontrolled descent to …

The student pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during the initial takeoff climb, resulting in an inadvertent stall/spin and uncontrolled descent to ground impact. A contributing factor was the failure of the wing flap control, which resulted in the flaps being stuck in the full down position.

Oct 14, 2005 Rootstown, OH N7768G Fatal (4) destroyed
The failure of both pilots to maintain an adequate visual lookout during cruise flight, which resulted in their failure to see and avoid each other an…

The failure of both pilots to maintain an adequate visual lookout during cruise flight, which resulted in their failure to see and avoid each other and a midair collision.

Oct 12, 2005 Spring, TX N94JA Incident substantial The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing.
Oct 09, 2005 Union City, OH N6085R Fatal (1) destroyed
The pilot's failure to perform a preflight weather evaluation which led to his inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions and his sp…

The pilot's failure to perform a preflight weather evaluation which led to his inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions and his spatial disorientation. The low ceilings and the dark night were contributing factors.

Oct 09, 2005 Lake Elmo, MN N13585 Minor substantial
The pilot's inadequate recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in an overload failure of the nose landing gear. Contributing to the accident …

The pilot's inadequate recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in an overload failure of the nose landing gear. Contributing to the accident was a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of inadequate preflight planning by the pilot.

Oct 02, 2005 Punta Gorda, FL N952AC Incident substantial The in-flight collision with a bird resulting in substantial damage to the airplane.
Oct 01, 2005 Reno, NV N5394K Incident substantial the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while taxiing in gusty wind conditions.
Sep 29, 2005 Batesville, TX N5343U Incident substantial The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the tree. A contributing factor was the gusty winds.
Sep 23, 2005 Mitchellville, MD N99137 Incident substantial The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Sep 20, 2005 Cedar City, UT N172GW Incident substantial
the student pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing. Factors contributing to the accident were the improper flare and imprope…

the student pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing. Factors contributing to the accident were the improper flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing.

Sep 19, 2005 Caldwell, NJ N64763 Incident substantial The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing. A factor in this accident was the crosswind condition.
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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