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
Oct 08, 2023 Merriton, AS VH-RSB Fatal (2) unk Investigation pending
Sep 20, 2023 Compton, CA N733ZN Minor substantial
The total loss of engine power on takeoff due to water-contaminated fuel. Contributing to the accident was the inadequately maintained fuel system, wh…

The total loss of engine power on takeoff due to water-contaminated fuel. Contributing to the accident was the inadequately maintained fuel system, which resulted in water entering the fuel tanks through the filler caps.

Sep 03, 2023 Eden Prairie, MN N5254D Incident substantial The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during a landing with a left crosswind.
Aug 31, 2023 Mountains, IC TF-KLO Fatal (3) destroyed Investigation pending
Jul 12, 2023 Greenwood, IN N701DE Incident substantial The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during takeoff.
Jul 10, 2023 Long Beach, CA N3307E Minor substantial The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing and the subsequent go-around, which resulted in impact with a hangar.
Jul 09, 2023 San Rafael, CA N4922G Fatal (1) substantial
The total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing as a result of the pilot’s failure to activate the carburetor heat in a timely manner during th…

The total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing as a result of the pilot’s failure to activate the carburetor heat in a timely manner during the descent.

Jul 04, 2023 Murrieta, CA N5243E Fatal (1) substantial
The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control. Contribu…

The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control. Contributing to the loss of control was the pilot’s sudden retraction of the flaps.

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.
Apr 15, 2023 North Las Vegas, NV N734NJ Incident substantial The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll resulting in collision with taxiway sign.
Mar 10, 2023 Van Nuys, CA N73726 Incident substantial The pilots failure to maintain directional control during takeoff.
Jan 03, 2023 Opa-locka, FL N2354E Incident substantial
The flight instructor’s decision to taxi behind a large multi-engine airplane, which resulted in an encounter with propeller blast and a loss of airpl…

The flight instructor’s decision to taxi behind a large multi-engine airplane, which resulted in an encounter with propeller blast and a loss of airplane control on the ground.

Dec 10, 2022 Socorro, NM N422B Incident substantial The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard bounced landing and loss of control in gusting wind.
Aug 30, 2022 Gates Mills, OH N204BE Serious (1) substantial
The instructor pilot’s decision to perform an inflight magneto check with no suitable area to land. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failu…

The instructor pilot’s decision to perform an inflight magneto check with no suitable area to land. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to correctly perform a magneto check that resulted in a total loss of engine power.

Jul 30, 2022 Longmont, CO N6587E Incident substantial
The flight instructor’s failure to properly supervise the student pilot, which resulted in a continued unstablized approach for landing, and the instr…

The flight instructor’s failure to properly supervise the student pilot, which resulted in a continued unstablized approach for landing, and the instructor’s delayed recovery that resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain.

Jun 18, 2022 Jacksonville, IL N6797E Incident substantial The pilot’s failure to attain proper flare during landing, resulting in a bounced landing.
Jun 12, 2022 Minot, ND N737BW Minor substantial
The student pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed and yaw control of the airplane during an aborted takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and…

The student pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed and yaw control of the airplane during an aborted takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with the ground.

May 19, 2022 Auburn, IN N2128E Incident substantial The student pilot’s improper landing flare and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial response which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
May 01, 2022 Toms River, NJ N737LY Incident substantial Loss of engine power due to the throttle linkage becoming disconnected in flight due to improper maintenance.
Apr 19, 2022 Englewood, CO N711DA Incident substantial
The flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the student pilot and the student pilot’s loss of directional control during landing, which resulted…

The flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the student pilot and the student pilot’s loss of directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion.

Apr 06, 2022 Tuscon, AZ N733EJ Incident substantial
The loss of directional control during the landing roll, due to missing hardware which resulted in the separation of the nose landing gear torque link…

The loss of directional control during the landing roll, due to missing hardware which resulted in the separation of the nose landing gear torque links.

Mar 24, 2022 Springtown, TX N733KP Minor substantial A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined.
Mar 20, 2022 Talkeetna, AK N6332D Incident substantial The pilot’s improper positioning of the fuel selector during takeoff, which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent total loss of engine power.
Feb 12, 2022 Murphysboro, IL N737SY Minor substantial The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines during approach for landing.
Feb 03, 2022 Reykjavik, IC TF-ABB 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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