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
Aug 03, 1993	CLINES CORNERS, NM	N23459	Fatal (1)	destroyed	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A SAFE AND PROPER ALTITUDE. FACTORS WERE THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING, DARK NIGHT CONDI… THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A SAFE AND PROPER ALTITUDE. FACTORS WERE THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING, DARK NIGHT CONDITION, AND WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT INCLUDED OBSCURATION, FOG, AND DRIZZLE.
Aug 02, 1993	YELLOW PINE, ID	N9554H	Minor	substantial	THE PILOT'S IMPROPERLY PLANNED APPROACH AND DELAYED REMEDIAL ACTION. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE PROXIMITY OF MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.
Jul 28, 1993	HARVEST, AL	N13738	Serious (2)	substantial	THE PILOT'S POORLY PLANNED APPROACH AND THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO EXECUTE A GO-AROUND.
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 29, 1993	TURLOCK, CA	N12857	Minor	destroyed	THE PILOT'S POORLY PLANNED APPROACH AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED.
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 13, 1993	HOBART, OK	N61529	Fatal (2)	destroyed	INADVERTENT STALL. FACTORS WERE THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, HIS LACK OF TOTAL INSTRUMENT TIME, THE WEATHER, AND THE DARK NIGHT COND… INADVERTENT STALL. FACTORS WERE THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, HIS LACK OF TOTAL INSTRUMENT TIME, THE WEATHER, AND THE DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS.
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 19, 1993	WHITE WATER, CA	N12587	Fatal (2)	destroyed	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO SEE AND AVOID THE TOWER DUE TO DRUG IMPAIRMENT. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE LOW ALTITUDE AND THE DAWN L… THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO SEE AND AVOID THE TOWER DUE TO DRUG IMPAIRMENT. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE LOW ALTITUDE AND THE DAWN LIGHT CONDITION.
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
Dec 17, 1992	LAIE, HI	N1169U	Fatal (3)	destroyed	THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO A MOUNTAINOUS AREA WHERE HE LOST VISUAL REFERENCE TO ILLUMINATED GROUND FEATURES WHICH RESULTED IN HIS BECOMING DI… THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO A MOUNTAINOUS AREA WHERE HE LOST VISUAL REFERENCE TO ILLUMINATED GROUND FEATURES WHICH RESULTED IN HIS BECOMING DISORIENTED. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: 1) THE DARK SKY AND LOW CLOUD CONDITIONS; 2) THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A COMPLETE WEATHER BRIEFING PRIOR TO TAKE OFF; 3) HIS IMPROPER WEATHER EVALUATION; 4) HIS INEXPERIENCE FLYING AT NIGHT; AND 5) THE USAF'S CLEARING AUTHORITY PERSONNEL'S FAILURE TO ADHERE TO ESTABLISHED WRITTEN PROCEDURES WHICH BARRED INEXPERIENCED PILOTS FROM BEING DISPATCHED WITH THE INTENT OF PERFORMING NIGHTTIME CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHTS.
Nov 19, 1992	SNOOK, TX	N9323H	Fatal (1)	destroyed	THE PILOT'S INTENTIONAL FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AS A RESULT OF HIS ALCOHOLIC AND DRUG IMPAIRMENT OF EFFICIENCY AND JUDGEMENT.… THE PILOT'S INTENTIONAL FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AS A RESULT OF HIS ALCOHOLIC AND DRUG IMPAIRMENT OF EFFICIENCY AND JUDGEMENT. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN WEATHER INFORMATION, THE DARK NIGHT AND EXISTING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Nov 17, 1992	VANCOUVER, WA	N4324R	Minor	substantial	THE PILOT'S INABILITY TO SEE BIRDS DUE TO DARKNESS.
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

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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