How many accidents has the Cessna 180 had?

The NTSB has recorded 1114 events involving the Cessna 180: 87 fatal, 51 serious, 107 minor injuries, and 865 incidents with no injuries.

Is the Cessna 180 a safe aircraft?

Safety depends on many factors beyond the aircraft model, including pilot training, maintenance, and weather conditions. The Cessna 180 has 1114 NTSB-recorded events. Always review individual reports for context — many events involve pilot error or weather, not aircraft defects.

Cessna 180 Safety Record

Complete NTSB accident and incident history. 1114 events recorded from 1981 to 2025.

1114

All Events

865

Incidents

107

Minor

Serious

Fatal (166 fatalities)

Date	Location	Reg#	Severity	Damage	Probable Cause
Jun 22, 1991	CHALLIS, ID	N4700U	Minor	substantial	THAT THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED UNSUITABLE TERRAIN DURING A FORCED LANDING AFTER A POWER LOSS DUE TO A FRACTURED CYLINDER BOSS AND A BENT ENGINE PUSHROD.
Jun 21, 1991	GRAYLING, MI	N2755C	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING LANDING ROLL.
Jun 21, 1991	GRAND RAPIDS, MN	N6503A	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER AIRSPEED DURING LANDING AND THE IMPROPER RECOVERY FROM A BOUNCED LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WER… THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER AIRSPEED DURING LANDING AND THE IMPROPER RECOVERY FROM A BOUNCED LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE IN SEAPLANES AND THE GUSTY WIND CONDITION.
Jun 16, 1991	ORR, MN	N4636B	Incident	substantial	BECAUSE OF INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE WIND CONDITIONS, AIRCRAFT CONTROL WAS LOST BY THE PILOT. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS A GUSTY CROS… BECAUSE OF INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE WIND CONDITIONS, AIRCRAFT CONTROL WAS LOST BY THE PILOT. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS A GUSTY CROSSWIND LANDING ENVIRONMENT.
Jun 13, 1991	PILOT POINT, AK	N420SB	Incident	substantial	FUEL EXHAUSTION, DUE TO THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE SOFT AND ROUGH TERRAIN.
Jun 13, 1991	WAUSA, NE	N1721C	Serious (1)	substantial	THE PILOT'S DELAYED DECISION TO TURN AROUND AFTER ENCOUNTERING IFR FLIGHT CONDITIONS. FACTORS WERE RESTRICTED FORWARD VISIBILITY AND POWER LINES.
Jun 09, 1991	NEAR ILIAMNA, AK	N5296D	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S DECISION TO LAND ON AN UNIMPROVED AREA. THE SOFT TERRAIN WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
May 26, 1991	DEVILS LAKE, ND	N115F	Incident	substantial	DIRECTIONAL CONTROL NOT MAINTAINED BY THE PILOT. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS A CROSSWIND CONDITION.
May 19, 1991	SCOTTSBLUFF, NE	N66266	Incident	substantial	FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING ROLL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE A CROSSWIND CONDITION AND LACK OF … FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING ROLL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE A CROSSWIND CONDITION AND LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE IN TYPE OF AIRCRAFT BY THE PILOT.
May 10, 1991	DREWSEY, OR	N51612	Minor	destroyed	THE PILOT DELAYED IN GOING-AROUND.
May 04, 1991	TRUCKEE, CA	N9147C	Incident	substantial	THAT THE PILOT IMPROPERLY USED THE FLIGHT CONTROLS AND BRAKES TO ARREST THE RUNWAY EXCURSION. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WAS ENCOUNTERING UNFAVORA… THAT THE PILOT IMPROPERLY USED THE FLIGHT CONTROLS AND BRAKES TO ARREST THE RUNWAY EXCURSION. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WAS ENCOUNTERING UNFAVORABLE WINDS, CROSSWIND CONDITIONS, AND LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS TYPE OF AIRPLANE.
Apr 26, 1991	VERNAL, UT	N40LT	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S IMPAIRMENT DUE TO ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND HIS FAILUE TO CONTROL THE AIRPLANE DURING LANDING.
Apr 04, 1991	YUKON RIVER, AK	N2117Z	Incident	substantial	A CARBURETOR FUEL LEAK DUE TO INADEQUATE ANNUAL INSPECTION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE SNOW COVERED TERRAIN.
Mar 29, 1991	FRIDAY HARBOR, WA	N2601Y	Minor	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER CLIMB GRADIENT AND RATE AS A RESULT OF HIS INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS.
Mar 10, 1991	AMOS LAKES, AK	N66036	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S SELECTION OF TERRAIN THAT WAS ROUGH, SNOW-COVERED AND ICY FOR TAKEOFF.
Feb 25, 1991	GLASGOW, MT	N7676A	Incident	substantial	THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO CARBURETOR ICING. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE STRONG WINDS, HIGH OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE AREA AND TAILWIND … THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO CARBURETOR ICING. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE STRONG WINDS, HIGH OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE AREA AND TAILWIND CONDITIONS FOR LANDING AT THE ONLY AVAILABLE AREA.
Jan 18, 1991	PATTERSON, LA	N63130	Fatal (1)	minor	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO IDENTIFY AN UNSAFE OR HAZARDOUS CONDITION. FACTORS WERE: ROUGH WATER AND HIGH WINDS.
Nov 22, 1990	YOUNG, AZ	N2574K	Serious (1)	substantial	THE PILOT SELECTED THE WRONG RUNWAY AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND WITH A TAILWIND.
Nov 04, 1990	ANCHORAGE, AK	N4597B	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING THE LANDING ROLL.
Nov 04, 1990	NORTHWOOD, ND	N2987C	Incident	substantial	POOR IN-FLIGHT PLANNING AND DECISION, UNSUITABLE TERRAIN SELECTED BY THE PIC.
Oct 10, 1990	ANCHORAGE, AK	N3330D	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE EXCESSIVE TAXI SPEED AND INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE ON THE BRAKE… THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE EXCESSIVE TAXI SPEED AND INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE ON THE BRAKES BY THE PILOT.
Oct 01, 1990	SWIFT RIVER, AK	N9339T	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO UNDERSTAND THE PERFORMANCE DATA OF THE AIRPLANE, AND HIS FAILURE TO IDENTIFY UNSUITABLE TERRAIN.
Sep 26, 1990	KINGSTON, NH	N2620Y	Serious (2)	destroyed	AN INFLIGHT COLLISION WITH WATER WHILE MANEUVERING FOR A FORCED LANDING. A FACTOR TO THE ACCIDENT WAS A POWER LOSS DUE TO THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF … AN INFLIGHT COLLISION WITH WATER WHILE MANEUVERING FOR A FORCED LANDING. A FACTOR TO THE ACCIDENT WAS A POWER LOSS DUE TO THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE MIXTURE CONTROL.
Sep 20, 1990	WOOD CREEK, AK	N5276D	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN PROPER LIFT OFF AIRSPEED. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS ROUGH AND UNEVEN TERRAIN.
Sep 17, 1990	ENTERPRISE, OR	N3117D	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING 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 180 Safety Record

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