How many accidents has the Cessna 172S had?

The NTSB has recorded 410 events involving the Cessna 172S: 45 fatal, 16 serious, 35 minor injuries, and 310 incidents with no injuries.

Is the Cessna 172S a safe aircraft?

Safety depends on many factors beyond the aircraft model, including pilot training, maintenance, and weather conditions. The Cessna 172S has 410 NTSB-recorded events. Always review individual reports for context — many events involve pilot error or weather, not aircraft defects.

Cessna 172S Safety Record

Complete NTSB accident and incident history. 410 events recorded from 1999 to 2025.

410

All Events

310

Incidents

Minor

Serious

Fatal (80 fatalities)

Date	Location	Reg#	Severity	Damage	Probable Cause
Mar 07, 2022	San Carlos, CA	N653ND	Incident	substantial	The pilot’s improper landing flare which resulted in a bounced landing.
Dec 12, 2021	Hazleton, PA	N215LP	Incident	substantial	The pilot’s failure to maintain proper airspeed on approach in tailwind conditions, which resulted in an extended touchdown, bounced landing, and runw… The pilot’s failure to maintain proper airspeed on approach in tailwind conditions, which resulted in an extended touchdown, bounced landing, and runway excursion.
Dec 03, 2021	Midland, VA	N2100S	Incident	substantial	Collision with a bird in flight, which resulted in damage to the right-wing leading-edge spar.
Nov 14, 2021	Palm Coast, FL	N61237	Incident	substantial	The student pilot’s improper landing flare and subsequent improper recovery from a bounced landing, resulting in a hard landing and substantial damage… The student pilot’s improper landing flare and subsequent improper recovery from a bounced landing, resulting in a hard landing and substantial damage to the lower fuselage and firewall.
Sep 09, 2021	Venice, FL	N782JA	Incident	substantial	Maintenance personnel’s failure to use the correct throttle linkage hardware when reinstalling the engine, resulting in a disconnection of the throttl… Maintenance personnel’s failure to use the correct throttle linkage hardware when reinstalling the engine, resulting in a disconnection of the throttle during flight.
Jun 25, 2021	Mount Pocono, PA	N5185U	Incident	substantial	The pilot’s loss of aircraft control following a bounced landing.
Jun 17, 2021	Clarksville, TN	N35585	Incident	substantial	The flight instructor’s inadequate remedial action during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Jun 11, 2021	Yelm, WA	N513WF	Incident	substantial	A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
Jun 10, 2021	Saint James, LA	N365CP	Incident	substantial	The in-flight fatigue failure of an air-conditioning system hose which resulted in a precautionary landing and impact with a road sign.
May 02, 2021	Martinsville, VA	N1089D	Incident	substantial	The pilot’s improper pitch control during a go-around in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a tail strike and a runway excursion.
Apr 17, 2021	Venice, FL	N60457	Incident	substantial	A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Apr 06, 2021	Orangeburg, SC	N22467	Incident	substantial	The student pilot’s improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a hard landing.
Feb 07, 2021	Urbana, OH	N348RM	Incident	substantial	The student pilot’s loss of directional control during landing which resulted in an impact with a snowbank. The slippery runway condition contributed … The student pilot’s loss of directional control during landing which resulted in an impact with a snowbank. The slippery runway condition contributed to the accident.
Dec 22, 2020	Culpeper, VA	N505LP	Incident	substantial	The pilot’s decision to land the airplane in crosswind conditions that exceeded the airplane’s maximum demonstrated crosswind velocity.
Oct 02, 2017	Tonopah, NV	N5311H	Incident	substantial	The pilot's failure to enrich the mixture during the descent, as required by the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH), and his subsequent failure to follo… The pilot's failure to enrich the mixture during the descent, as required by the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH), and his subsequent failure to follow the POH emergency procedures, which resulted in an excessively lean fuel/air mixture and subsequent loss of rpm. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper decision to land on unsuitable terrain despite the availability of two nearby airports.
Apr 28, 2017	Jean, NV	N796SP	Incident	substantial	The pilot’s runway selection, which resulted in landing with a tailwind and an unstabilized approach and subsequent runway overrun.
Mar 01, 2017	St Petersburg, FL	N22904	Incident	substantial	The student pilot’s overcompensation of right rudder pedal application during the landing roll, which resulted in a loss of directional control and im… The student pilot’s overcompensation of right rudder pedal application during the landing roll, which resulted in a loss of directional control and impact with runway signage and a fence.
Aug 09, 2016	Arlington, TX	N544SP	Incident	substantial	The student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Feb 03, 2016	San Diego, CA	N1955L	Incident	minor	The failure of the flight instructor of the other airplane to maintain awareness while parked on the ramp with the engine operating, which resulted in… The failure of the flight instructor of the other airplane to maintain awareness while parked on the ramp with the engine operating, which resulted in impact with the parked airplane.
Nov 05, 2015	Alcoa, TN	N905CP	Incident	substantial	The pilot's failure to identify the taxiway, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with terrain while turning off the runway at night.
Jul 19, 2015	Linden, NJ	N962SP	Incident	substantial	The pilot’s delayed decision to reject the takeoff, which resulted in a runway overrun. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to proper… The pilot’s delayed decision to reject the takeoff, which resulted in a runway overrun. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to properly configure the flaps for maximum takeoff performance with the airplane near its maximum gross weight.
Jun 10, 2015	Galesburg, IL	N740SP	Incident	substantial	Firewall damage reported by maintenance personnel that occurred during an unknown phase of flight, because the accident flight and pilot could not be … Firewall damage reported by maintenance personnel that occurred during an unknown phase of flight, because the accident flight and pilot could not be determined.
May 07, 2015	Daytona Beach, FL	N487ER	Incident	substantial	The landing airplane pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and ground collision with a … The landing airplane pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and ground collision with a taxiing airplane.
Apr 19, 2015	Naples, FL	N100PM	Incident	substantial	The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control, resulting in a hard landing.
Mar 28, 2015	Vernal, UT	N2168D	Incident	substantial	The student pilot's failure to maintain attitude control during landing flare.

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 172S Safety Record

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