How many accidents has the Cessna 177 had?

The NTSB has recorded 766 events involving the Cessna 177: 141 fatal, 84 serious, 139 minor injuries, and 399 incidents with no injuries.

Is the Cessna 177 a safe aircraft?

Safety depends on many factors beyond the aircraft model, including pilot training, maintenance, and weather conditions. The Cessna 177 has 766 NTSB-recorded events. Always review individual reports for context — many events involve pilot error or weather, not aircraft defects.

Cessna 177 Safety Record

Complete NTSB accident and incident history. 766 events recorded from 1982 to 2026.

766

All Events

399

Incidents

139

Minor

Serious

141

Fatal (281 fatalities)

Date	Location	Reg#	Severity	Damage	Probable Cause
Jul 25, 1991	ASHLAND, KY	N8071	Incident	substantial	LOST OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
May 27, 1991	HUNTSVILLE, AL	N19823	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO REMOVE THE CONTROL LOCK PRIOR TO ATTEMPTING FLIGHT AND HIS FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE 'BEFORE TAKEOFF' CHECKLIST. A FACTOR IN THE A… THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO REMOVE THE CONTROL LOCK PRIOR TO ATTEMPTING FLIGHT AND HIS FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE 'BEFORE TAKEOFF' CHECKLIST. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S DIVERTED ATTENTION.
May 22, 1991	NEW LOTHROP, MI	N548EC	Incident	substantial	FUEL EXHAUSTION AND MISJUDGED FUEL CALCULATIONS BY THE PILOT. A FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN AVAILABLE FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING.
May 12, 1991	DECATUR, IN	N3345T	Incident	substantial	FAILURE TO OBTAIN AIRSPEED FOR POSITIVE LIFT OFF AND CLIMB. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE A GRASS/SOD RUNWAY AND A HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.
Mar 18, 1991	COLORADO SPRING, CO	N1950Q	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE GUSTY/QUARTERING CROSSWIND WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Nov 25, 1990	MOUNT AYR, IA	N13747	Incident	substantial	PROPER TOUCH-DOWN POINT NOT ATTAINED AND GO-AROUND DELAYED BY THE PIC. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE A DOWNWIND, CROSSWIND, WEATHER EVALUATION MISJUDGED, … PROPER TOUCH-DOWN POINT NOT ATTAINED AND GO-AROUND DELAYED BY THE PIC. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE A DOWNWIND, CROSSWIND, WEATHER EVALUATION MISJUDGED, WRONG RUNWAY SELECTED AND LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE BY THE PIC.
Sep 12, 1990	KOKOMO, IN	N35014	Incident	substantial	EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT WHILE RECOVERING FROM A LOSS OF CONTROL IN FLIGHT DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATED TO… EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT WHILE RECOVERING FROM A LOSS OF CONTROL IN FLIGHT DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE DELAYED REMEDIAL ACTION AND INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF AN INEXPERIENCED PILOT BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND, AND LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN TYPE OF OPERATION BY THE SECOND PILOT.
Sep 09, 1990	PERRY, MI	N30414	Incident	substantial	THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO THE PILOT'S INACCURATE FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS.
Sep 01, 1990	FARMINGTON, MO	N29490	Incident	substantial	FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO UNKNOWN REASONS.
Jul 29, 1990	WINDSOR, NC	N3184T	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING THE FLARE PHASE OF THE APPROACH. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE GUSTY WIND CONDIT… THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING THE FLARE PHASE OF THE APPROACH. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE GUSTY WIND CONDITION ON FINAL CAUSED BY THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IN THE VICINITY OF THE LANDING AREA. THE PILOT DID NOT COMPENSATE FOR THE GUSTING CONDITIONS.
Jul 16, 1990	NEWTON, KS	N30032	Incident	substantial	FUEL EXHAUSTION AND REFUELING NOT PERFORMED BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND.
Jul 13, 1990	ARLINGTON, TX	N2022Q	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT MISJUDGED AIRPLANE ATTITUDE DURING THE LANDING FLARE.
Jul 04, 1990	DANIELSON, CT	N35017	Incident	substantial	THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER RUNWAY ALIGNMENT, AND HIS FAILURE TO OBTAIN OR MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED DURING A GO-AROUND, WHICH RESULT… THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER RUNWAY ALIGNMENT, AND HIS FAILURE TO OBTAIN OR MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED DURING A GO-AROUND, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL AND COLLISION WITH THE SHRUBS AND TREES.
Jun 24, 1990	HITCHCOCK, WA	N13227	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING FINAL APPROACH FOR LANDING. SUNGLARE WAS A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT.
May 27, 1990	HAZARD, KY	N3235T	Incident	substantial	FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO EXECUTE A GO-AROUND, WHEN AN UPDRAFT CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO BE HIGH ON FINAL.
Apr 22, 1990	SPARTANBURG, SC	N19119	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S IMPROPER FLARE AND IMPROPER RECOVERY FROM A BOUNCED LANDING.
Mar 03, 1990	OXFORD, MA	N34873	Incident	substantial	AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING IN UNSUITABLE TERRAIN FOLLOWING A POWER LOSS DUE TO A DELAMINATED CEET DUCT BETWEEN THE AIR INTAKE SCREEN AND CARBURETOR AIR BO… AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING IN UNSUITABLE TERRAIN FOLLOWING A POWER LOSS DUE TO A DELAMINATED CEET DUCT BETWEEN THE AIR INTAKE SCREEN AND CARBURETOR AIR BOX.
Feb 18, 1990	HARFORD, PA	N45371	Incident	substantial	A LOSS OF BRAKING ACTION WHICH ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO RUN INTO TREES AFTER THE PILOT MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING DUE TO A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE OF UN… A LOSS OF BRAKING ACTION WHICH ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO RUN INTO TREES AFTER THE PILOT MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING DUE TO A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE OF UNDETERMINED CAUSE.
Feb 12, 1990	RALEIGH, IL	N35100	Incident	substantial	INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT AND FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO AN INADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FUEL. THE UNRELIABLE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Jan 20, 1990	ACME, MI	N34860	Incident	substantial	THE STUDENT PILOT MISJUDGED DISTANCE AND ALTITUDE TO THE RUNWAY, AND THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI) FAILED TO ATTAIN REMEDIAL ACTION, WHICH RESULTED IN TH… THE STUDENT PILOT MISJUDGED DISTANCE AND ALTITUDE TO THE RUNWAY, AND THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI) FAILED TO ATTAIN REMEDIAL ACTION, WHICH RESULTED IN THEIR FAILURE TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE CFI'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF OPERATION AND THE SNOWBANK.
Jan 09, 1990	FRIDAY HARBOR, WA	N35000	Incident	substantial	FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT OR GO-AROUND. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT CONCERNED THE RUNWAY CONDITION.
Nov 21, 1989	MIMS, FL	N7628V	Incident	substantial	A WORN THROTTLE CONTROL ASSEMBLY THAT HAD FAILED.
Nov 10, 1989	TUCSON, AZ	N3458T	Incident	substantial	IMPROPER FLARE BY THE STUDENT PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN A PORPOISE, AND HIS IMPROPER RECOVERY FROM A BOUNCED LANDING.
Oct 20, 1989	ALBERTVILLE, AL	N34080	Incident	substantial	THE FAILURE OF MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO PROPERLY INSPECT THE MAGNETO DURING A RECENT ANNUAL INSPECTION.
Sep 26, 1989	TUCSON, AZ	N52665	Incident	substantial	A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE AIRCRAFT'S POWERPLANT CONTROLS. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE PILOT'S LIMITED EXPERIENCE… A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE AIRCRAFT'S POWERPLANT CONTROLS. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE PILOT'S LIMITED EXPERIENCE IN A CESSNA 177RG.

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 177 Safety Record

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