Cessna 172S Safety Record

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

410

All Events

310

Incidents

35

Minor

16

Serious

45

Fatal (80 fatalities)

Date Location Reg# Severity Damage Probable Cause
Jul 02, 2009 Grand Forks, ND N538ND Incident substantial The student pilot's improper landing flare that resulted in a hard landing.
Jun 02, 2009 Tooele, UT N5262Y Incident substantial The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.
May 17, 2009 Flagstaff, AZ N541ER Incident substantial The student pilot's inadequate compensation for the gusty wind conditions and failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Apr 04, 2009 Snohomish, WA N4915F Incident substantial An in-flight collision with a crow.
Jan 24, 2009 Oceanside, CA N562AD Serious (2) substantial
A defective alternator wire splice that resulted in an intermittent electrical system malfunction and erroneous fuel gauge readings, and, a loss of en…

A defective alternator wire splice that resulted in an intermittent electrical system malfunction and erroneous fuel gauge readings, and, a loss of engine power for an undetermined reason.

Jan 18, 2009 Emporia, KS N2465H Incident substantial The pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions during the touch-and-go. Contributing to the accident were the gusty crosswinds.
Jan 01, 2009 Lancaster, NY N2228L Incident substantial
The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot's lack of solo flight e…

The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot's lack of solo flight experience and the snow bank located off the left side of the runway.

Dec 28, 2008 Girdwood, AK N453SP Incident substantial
The flight instructor's lack of action to correct a high and fast landing approach which resulted in a long landing, and subsequent collision with a s…

The flight instructor's lack of action to correct a high and fast landing approach which resulted in a long landing, and subsequent collision with a snow berm at the end of the runway. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot's improper approach.

Dec 18, 2008 Goodland, FL N967SP Fatal (1) destroyed The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control due to spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident was the night light conditions.
Nov 26, 2008 Waukesha, WI N833SP Incident substantial
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff and his failure to ensure that the elevator trim was properly set before takeoff. Con…

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff and his failure to ensure that the elevator trim was properly set before takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of autopilot system knowledge.

Nov 19, 2008 Groton, CT N2337F Minor substantial
The student pilot’s failure to maintain a proper descent profile to avoid trees during the night visual approach and the flight instructor’s inadequat…

The student pilot’s failure to maintain a proper descent profile to avoid trees during the night visual approach and the flight instructor’s inadequate oversight.

Oct 06, 2008 Compton, CA N6048Z Incident substantial The pilot's improper flare and inadequate recovery from a bounced landing.
Oct 01, 2008 Fullerton, CA N2190W Serious (1) substantial The pilot's failure to follow the takeoff checklist and verify the proper flap setting before takeoff.
Sep 01, 2008 South Harpswell, ME N251SP Incident substantial The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while landing in gusty winds.
Aug 09, 2008 Monroeville, AL N1600U Incident substantial The pilot's inadequate compensation for winds during landing. Contributing to the accident was a wind gust.
Aug 08, 2008 Incline Village, NV N15963 Fatal (1) substantial
The pilot's decision to initiate a flight for which he was neither approved nor qualified and his failure to maintain terrain clearance during the fli…

The pilot's decision to initiate a flight for which he was neither approved nor qualified and his failure to maintain terrain clearance during the flight. Contributing to the accident were the dark night, the mountainous terrain, and the pilot's medical condition.

Jul 26, 2008 Stevensville, MD N331ME Minor substantial The flight instructor's inadequate remedial action following the student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Jun 23, 2008 Oceanside, CA N2436F Fatal (2) destroyed Failure of the pilot to regain airplane control during an intentional stall/spin maneuver.
Jun 20, 2008 Orangeburg, SC N65357 Incident substantial The pilot's failure to obtain the proper touchdown point on landing.
Jun 13, 2008 Daytona Beach, FL N65939 Incident substantial The student pilot's improper flare.
Jun 12, 2008 Beaver, UT N233GW Serious (1) substantial
The pilot's failure to attain and maintain an adequate airspeed during the initial climb as a result of his inadequate preflight planning and improper…

The pilot's failure to attain and maintain an adequate airspeed during the initial climb as a result of his inadequate preflight planning and improper use of the mixture control. Contributing to the accident were the tailwind and high density altitude.

May 24, 2008 Kissimmee, FL N716SP Incident substantial The pilot's improper landing flare.
May 07, 2008 Homestead, FL N513JG Incident substantial The student pilot's improper flare. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's inadequate remedial action.
Apr 20, 2008 Daytona Beach, FL N375LP Incident substantial The student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Apr 13, 2008 Gualala, CA N21705 Incident substantial
The pilot's decision not to use all of the available runway, his premature rotation and failure to obtain and maintain an adequate airspeed to continu…

The pilot's decision not to use all of the available runway, his premature rotation and failure to obtain and maintain an adequate airspeed to continue the takeoff that resulted in a stall/mush, an aborted takeoff, a runway overrun, and a collision with trees. Contributing to the accident was the short runway.

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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