Cessna 172N Safety Record

Complete NTSB accident and incident history. 1178 events recorded from 1982 to 2025.

1178

All Events

709

Incidents

180

Minor

90

Serious

197

Fatal (403 fatalities)

Date Location Reg# Severity Damage Probable Cause
Aug 29, 2003 Malaga, SP EC-EUK Fatal (4) destroyed Investigation pending
Jul 20, 2003 Livermore, CA N73857 Incident substantial The pilot's misjudged landing flare, which resulted in a porpoise pilot induced oscillation and hard landing.
Jul 02, 2003 Linden, NJ N314TM Minor substantial The mechanic's improper installation of the carburetor, and his failure to secure the mixture control wire to the mixture control arm pivot bolt.
Jun 27, 2003 Romeo, MI N739NW Incident substantial The pilot not maintaining directional control during landing. A factor to the accident was the parked airplane.
Jun 14, 2003 Anoka, MN N2238E Incident substantial
The pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point, and his failure to maintain directional control. Contributing factors were the pilot's lac…

The pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point, and his failure to maintain directional control. Contributing factors were the pilot's lack of experience, and the runway sign.

Jun 01, 2003 Clearwater, FL N9758G Incident substantial
the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll, which resulted in the airplane departing the runway, and impacting with t…

the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll, which resulted in the airplane departing the runway, and impacting with trees.

May 30, 2003 Orangeburg, SC N734AG Incident destroyed
The pilot's continued operation of the airplane with known deficiencies in the equipment. Also causal was the other maintenance personnel's improper i…

The pilot's continued operation of the airplane with known deficiencies in the equipment. Also causal was the other maintenance personnel's improper installation of the mixture control linkage bolt that resulted in binding of the mixture control linkage and the post-landing fire.

May 29, 2003 Hampton, GA N140PF Minor substantial The certified flight instructor's failure to maintain clearance from the runway during a low pass. A factor was gusty wind conditions.
May 17, 2003 PAYSON, AZ N739NS Minor substantial
the pilot's inadequate recovery from a bounced landing, failure to retract the flaps during an aborted landing attempt, failure to maintain an adequat…

the pilot's inadequate recovery from a bounced landing, failure to retract the flaps during an aborted landing attempt, failure to maintain an adequate airspeed, and failure to maintain directional control. A factor in the accident was the high density altitude.

Apr 11, 2003 Carbondale, IL N6317D Incident substantial The pilot failed to properly recover from a bounced landing which resulted in the airplane porpoising.
Apr 10, 2003 Foxworth, MS N738QM Incident substantial
The failure of the pilot to perform a go-around, his failure to attain the proper touchdown point, and his delay in applying the normal brakes resulti…

The failure of the pilot to perform a go-around, his failure to attain the proper touchdown point, and his delay in applying the normal brakes resulting in his inability to stop the airplane and subsequent on-ground collision with a fence.

Apr 05, 2003 Anaheim, CA N6272D Incident substantial
Failure of company maintenance personnel to correctly install and safety wire the oil drain plug, which led to a loss of engine oil and a catastrophic…

Failure of company maintenance personnel to correctly install and safety wire the oil drain plug, which led to a loss of engine oil and a catastrophic internal failure of the engine.

Mar 16, 2003 Foley, MN N5315D Fatal (3) destroyed
The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions which led to spatial disorientation and subsequent impact with the groun…

The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions which led to spatial disorientation and subsequent impact with the ground. Contributing factors was the pilot's lack of instrument rating, the pilot's disregard of the preflight briefing and his failure to follow in-flight weather advisories and a low ceiling.

Feb 26, 2003 Cincinnati, OH N733XP Incident substantial The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control.
Feb 23, 2003 ELY, NV N9885J Fatal (2) substantial the pilot's failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance while flying in a box canyon.
Feb 15, 2003 Wellington, KS N5898E Fatal (1) destroyed
Spatial disorientation experienced by the pilot and his subsequent failure to maintain control of the aircraft. Contributing factors were the pilot's…

Spatial disorientation experienced by the pilot and his subsequent failure to maintain control of the aircraft. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to obtain an updated preflight weather briefing prior to the return flight, his attempted flight into known adverse weather, the lack of lighting (night) and the low ceilings.

Feb 08, 2003 McMinnville, OR N734KU Incident substantial
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions and his failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Factors include gusty…

The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions and his failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Factors include gusty crosswinds and soft terrain in the area where the aircraft departed the side of the runway.

Jan 25, 2003 Kalaupapa, HI N911FC Fatal (1) destroyed
the student pilot's inadvertent VFR flight into IMC, which resulted in his in-flight collision with mountainous terrain while maneuvering. A contribu…

the student pilot's inadvertent VFR flight into IMC, which resulted in his in-flight collision with mountainous terrain while maneuvering. A contributing factor was the low ceiling weather condition.

Dec 21, 2002 Pacoima, CA N733AM Incident substantial
the student pilot's excessive use of the elevator control that resulted in an inadvertent lift-off and his failure to maintain/attain adequate airspee…

the student pilot's excessive use of the elevator control that resulted in an inadvertent lift-off and his failure to maintain/attain adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall and hard landing.

Dec 06, 2002 Cartersville, GA N5891E Incident substantial The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control, during the landing roll resulted in the on ground collision with a ravine.
Dec 04, 2002 Holland, MI N5321D Incident substantial
The student pilot failed to maintain directional control during landing roll. Additional factors include the student pilot's lack of total flight exp…

The student pilot failed to maintain directional control during landing roll. Additional factors include the student pilot's lack of total flight experience, the CFI's inadequate supervision, and the ice and snow on the runway.

Nov 29, 2002 Lindsay, OK N5155E Fatal (1) destroyed The in-flight separation of the right wing due to the missing nut that secures the right wing's strut to fuselage fitting to the fuselage.
Nov 28, 2002 Hollister, CA N2423E Incident substantial the pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane.
Oct 31, 2002 Porter, TX N1317E Minor substantial The loss of engine power for an undetermined reason.
Oct 27, 2002 Coral Springs, FL N6101F Fatal (2) destroyed The failure of the dual students and flight instructors on both N9840V and N6101F to see and avoid each other, which resulted in a midair collision.
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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