How many accidents has the Cessna 172P had?

The NTSB has recorded 696 events involving the Cessna 172P: 96 fatal, 55 serious, 104 minor injuries, and 439 incidents with no injuries.

Is the Cessna 172P a safe aircraft?

Safety depends on many factors beyond the aircraft model, including pilot training, maintenance, and weather conditions. The Cessna 172P has 696 NTSB-recorded events. Always review individual reports for context — many events involve pilot error or weather, not aircraft defects.

Cessna 172P Safety Record

Complete NTSB accident and incident history. 696 events recorded from 1982 to 2026.

696

All Events

439

Incidents

104

Minor

Serious

Fatal (200 fatalities)

Date	Location	Reg#	Severity	Damage	Probable Cause
Feb 04, 1997	CHESAPEAKE, OH	N62332	Incident	substantial	the pilot's failure to maintain proper altitude during the approach at night. Related factors were: darkness, and the pilot's lack of night flying ex… the pilot's failure to maintain proper altitude during the approach at night. Related factors were: darkness, and the pilot's lack of night flying experience.
Jan 16, 1997	BLOOMINGTON, IN	N51448	Incident	substantial	the pilot failed to maintain control of the aircraft. Factors included the icy runway and the crosswind.
Nov 25, 1996	VAN NUYS, CA	N54686	Incident	substantial	improper flare by the pilot during the landing, and his improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a hard landing, dragged wing tip, … improper flare by the pilot during the landing, and his improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a hard landing, dragged wing tip, and a collapsed main gear.
Nov 20, 1996	MESA, AZ	N26FR	Incident	substantial	the pilot's misjudged landing flare and improper bounced landing recovery technique, which led to an inadvertent porpoise.
Nov 12, 1996	WAUKEGAN, IL	N55161	Incident	substantial	the pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing. A factor was the pilot's misjudging the flare.
Sep 21, 1996	RICHWOOD, WV	N848LF	Incident	substantial	improper in-flight planning/decision by the flight crew, and inadequate supervision by the check pilot, which resulted in the flight crew's failure to… improper in-flight planning/decision by the flight crew, and inadequate supervision by the check pilot, which resulted in the flight crew's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from trees on rising terrain. A factor relating to the accident was: rising/mountainous terrain.
Jul 13, 1996	FAIRFIELD, NJ	N98730	Incident	substantial	the pilot's improper aborted takeoff by extending full flaps which resulted in a porpoise. Subsequently, the airplane veered off the runway and the n… the pilot's improper aborted takeoff by extending full flaps which resulted in a porpoise. Subsequently, the airplane veered off the runway and the nose gear collapsed.
Jul 04, 1996	OWASSO, OK	N62511	Incident	substantial	Inadequate maintenance by maintenance personnel resulting in inoperative brake system during an aborted takeoff. A factor was the downhill runway cond… Inadequate maintenance by maintenance personnel resulting in inoperative brake system during an aborted takeoff. A factor was the downhill runway condition.
May 07, 1996	RENO, NV	N5394K	Incident	substantial	the pilot's failure to obtain and maintain flying speed and a proper glide path, which resulted in an inadvertent stall during a visual approach. An … the pilot's failure to obtain and maintain flying speed and a proper glide path, which resulted in an inadvertent stall during a visual approach. An increased altitude illusion created by rising terrain under the final approach course was a factor.
Apr 28, 1996	RUTLAND, VT	N98574	Incident	substantial	the pilot's improper flare and recovery from a bounced landing. A contributing factor was his lack of recent flight experience.
Apr 26, 1996	DENTON, TX	N5215K	Incident	substantial	the student pilot's delayed landing flare and his improper bounced landing recovery technique.
Apr 23, 1996	COLORADO SPGS, CO	N55126	Incident	substantial	the student pilot'S failure to maintain control of the aircraft during a go-around.
Apr 04, 1996	FRIDAY HARBOR, WA	N51380	Incident	substantial	the pilot's misjudgment of the aircraft's altitude above the runway and failure to flare for landing. Darkness (bright night) was a related factor.
Mar 30, 1996	FULLERTON, CA	N9964L	Incident	substantial	the student pilot's inadequate compensation for the encounter with wake turbulence from a preceding small aircraft, and his improper bounced landing r… the student pilot's inadequate compensation for the encounter with wake turbulence from a preceding small aircraft, and his improper bounced landing recovery technique.
Feb 24, 1996	WEST CHICAGO, IL	N99341	Incident	substantial	the student pilot's misjudging the flare. A factor was the gusts.
Feb 17, 1996	RAYMOND, CA	N53115	Incident	substantial	The pilot's failure to verify the quantity of fuel onboard the aircraft prior to departure, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.
Feb 16, 1996	CASHMERE, WA	N52264	Incident	substantial	the pilot's selection of the wrong runway for landing, by not observing a procedure to land uphill during calm wind conditions, and his subsequent fai… the pilot's selection of the wrong runway for landing, by not observing a procedure to land uphill during calm wind conditions, and his subsequent failure to retract the flaps during landing roll, as recommended by the airplane's short-field landing procedure. The downhill slope of the landing runway was a related factor.
Feb 15, 1996	SALMON, ID	N96879	Incident	substantial	failure of the pilot to maintain directional control during the landing, which resulted in a ground swerve. A factor relating to the accident was: th… failure of the pilot to maintain directional control during the landing, which resulted in a ground swerve. A factor relating to the accident was: the rock pile to the left of the runway.
Aug 16, 1995	HESPERIA, CA	N5462K	Incident	substantial	The failure of the connecting rod due to the rod bolt backing off, and the pilot's misjudging the distance and altitude.
Jul 24, 1995	TETERBORO, NJ	N51081	Incident	substantial	the student pilot's improper flare which resulted in the airplane porpoising and the subsequent buckling of the firewall.
Jul 13, 1995	VASHON, WA	N52139	Incident	substantial	THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO CONNECTING ROD BOLT OVERLOAD FAILURE. THE ROUGH, UNEVEN TERRAIN IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA WAS A FACTOR.
Apr 29, 1995	CLEARWATER, FL	N96EP	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S IMPROPER REMEDIAL ACTION AFTER THE AIRCRAFT PORPOISED DURING THE LANDING FLARE AND TOUCHDOWN.
Feb 21, 1995	REDLANDS, CA	N51920	Incident	substantial	the pilot's use of an excessive approach speed and glidepath angle and his improper bounced landing recovery technique.
Nov 21, 1994	BLANCO, TX	N65275	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S USE OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN FOR TAKEOFF. FACTORS WERE THE UPHILL TERRAIN, THE LONG VEGETATION, AND SHORT TAKEOFF AREA AVAILABLE.
Oct 29, 1994	COLORADO SPGS, CO	N52521	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S IMPROPER LANDING FLARE, THE RESULTANT PORPOISE AND AN INADEQUATE RECOVERY FROM THE BOUNCED LANDING.

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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Cessna 172P Safety Record

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