How many accidents has the Cessna 172M had?

The NTSB has recorded 810 events involving the Cessna 172M: 128 fatal, 72 serious, 136 minor injuries, and 472 incidents with no injuries.

Is the Cessna 172M a safe aircraft?

Safety depends on many factors beyond the aircraft model, including pilot training, maintenance, and weather conditions. The Cessna 172M has 810 NTSB-recorded events. Always review individual reports for context — many events involve pilot error or weather, not aircraft defects.

Cessna 172M Safety Record

Complete NTSB accident and incident history. 810 events recorded from 1974 to 2026.

810

All Events

472

Incidents

136

Minor

Serious

128

Fatal (233 fatalities)

Date	Location	Reg#	Severity	Damage	Probable Cause
Oct 16, 1993	CULEBRA, PR	N16582	Incident	substantial	The poor in-flight decision of the pilot-in-command to bank the airplane while flying low level instead of climbing to avoid collision with a bird. Co… The poor in-flight decision of the pilot-in-command to bank the airplane while flying low level instead of climbing to avoid collision with a bird. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the water.
Oct 08, 1993	LONGBRANCH, WA	N9932Q	Incident	substantial	THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES. FACTORS INCLUDE CARBURETOR ICING CONDITIONS AND SOFT TERRAIN IN THE LANDING AREA.
Oct 04, 1993	WELLSVILLE, NY	N20286	Incident	substantial	The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall and inflight collision with the terrain.
Sep 22, 1993	HOLLYWOOD, FL	N20457	Incident	substantial	INADVERTENT EXCEEDING OF VFE WITH THE FLAPS EXTENDED BY THE STUDENT PILOT WHILE PRACTICING MANEUVERS.
Aug 22, 1993	LINCOLN, NE	N80476	Incident	substantial	the pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point.
Aug 22, 1993	ADRIAN, MI	N13923	Incident	substantial	an excessive taxi speed used by the pilot-in-command. A factor related to the accident was loose gravel on the ramp and inadequate airport maintenan… an excessive taxi speed used by the pilot-in-command. A factor related to the accident was loose gravel on the ramp and inadequate airport maintenance by the airport personnel.
Aug 03, 1993	MANTEO, NC	N80797	Incident	substantial	INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS BY THE PILOT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WIND AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A … INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS BY THE PILOT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WIND AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING (INADEQUATE WEATHER EVALUATION).
Jul 08, 1993	LAMESA, TX	N13722	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S IMPROPER FLARE, IMPROPER RECOVERY FROM A BOUNCED LANDING AND THE INADVERTENT STALL. A FACTOR WAS THE GUSTY WIND.
May 11, 1993	OCHOPEE, FL	N9985V	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S POOR JUDGEMENT IN ATTEMPTING THE TAKEOFF FROM THE PARKING RAMP WHEN A 12,000-FT RUNWAY WAS AVAILABLE.
May 08, 1993	KAPOWSIN, WA	N9534H	Incident	substantial	AN UNDETERMINED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
Apr 26, 1993	MEEKER, CO	N4472R	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S IMPROPER COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS. A FACTOR WAS: GUSTY CROSSWINDS.
Apr 12, 1993	KASIGLUK, AK	N13147	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION AND DELAY IN ABORTING THE TAKEOFF. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: LOOSE GRAVEL ON THE SURFACE OF THE RU… THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION AND DELAY IN ABORTING THE TAKEOFF. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: LOOSE GRAVEL ON THE SURFACE OF THE RUNWAY AND THE SNOWBANK (BERM) ON THE OVERRUN (STOPWAY).
Mar 15, 1993	Overbrook, OK	N9689H	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ASSURE THAT THE ELEVATOR TRIM WAS PROPERLY SET FOR TAKEOFF AND HIS DELAY IN ABORTING THE TAKEOFF
Mar 13, 1993	LOGAN-CACHE, UT	N13008	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, AND INSUFFICIENT REMEDIAL ACTION. FACTORS INCLUDE A SNOW BANK NEAR THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY.
Mar 06, 1993	ROMEO, MI	N20043	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL.
Feb 28, 1993	SALEM, OR	N12698	Incident	substantial	THE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE OIL PUMP IMPELLER.
Feb 27, 1993	GRAIN VALLEY, MO	N64425	Incident	substantial	THE STUDENT PILOT'S IMPROPER RECOVERY FROM A BOUNCED LANDING AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL.
Feb 04, 1993	VALLEY POINT, WV	N9839V	Incident	substantial	THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAKE A REJECTED LANDING WHEN THE AIRPLANE FAILED TO DECELERATE PROPERLY. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE… THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAKE A REJECTED LANDING WHEN THE AIRPLANE FAILED TO DECELERATE PROPERLY. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO CLOSE THE THROTTLE UPON TOUCHDOWN.
Jan 27, 1993	BEDFORD, PA	N5262H	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN A CROSS WIND, LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, LANDED OFF THE RUNWAY, SWERVED TOWARDS A HANGER AFTER GOING THREW A SNOW BA… THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN A CROSS WIND, LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, LANDED OFF THE RUNWAY, SWERVED TOWARDS A HANGER AFTER GOING THREW A SNOW BANK RESULTING IN THE LEFT WING STRIKING THE HANGER.
Jan 23, 1993	BAYTOWN, TX	N73405	Incident	substantial	THE LOSS OF POWER DUE TO A STUCK EXHAUST VALVE IN THE NUMBER 3 CYLINDER
Nov 11, 1992	OLYMPIA, WA	N13400	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S POOR INFLIGHT DECISION, AND EXCESSIVE AIRSPEED ON FINAL. FACTORS INCLUDE A WET TURF RUNWAY, AND TREES ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY.
Oct 29, 1992	MALLORY, WV	N20493	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRPLANE DEPARTING THE RUNWAY AND STRIKING A TREE.
Oct 20, 1992	MAYAGUANA ISL, BF	N9288H	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Oct 10, 1992	ADDISON, TX	N1440V	Incident	substantial	THE ATTEMPT BY BOTH PILOTS TO PASS EACH OTHER WITHOUT ADEQUATE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THEIR AIRPLANES.
Sep 19, 1992	LLOYD, MT	N12089	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. A FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS WIND GUSTS.

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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Data source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database · About our data

Cessna 172M Safety Record

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