Cessna 172 accidents

The NTSB database holds 12,209 accidents and incidents involving the Cessna 172, recorded between 1964 to 2026. 1,728 of them were fatal (14%), and 3,521 people died.

The deadliest year was 1978, with 204 deaths.

The phase of flight recorded most often is landing (2,531 records).

Most of these records are from United States, Canada and Mexico.

517 of these records cannot be placed at all, so they appear in the list below but not on the map.

For 5,757 of them the NTSB recorded no coordinates, so their position on the map is approximate.

12,209

Records

1,728

Fatal

3,521

Deaths

14%

Share fatal

1964 to 2026

Period

Show these on the map 11,692 of 12,209 can be placed (5,757 approximate)

By decade

1960s 1,903

1970s 2,892

1980s 2,353

1990s 1,745

2000s 1,500

2010s 1,126

2020s 690

Where these happened

United States 11,825 Canada 28 Mexico 26 Unknown/Not Reported 18 Australia 16 Spain 13

Operators involved

American Flyers 20 Civil Air Patrol, Inc. 18 Embry-Riddle A 16 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 13 Civil Air Patr 12 General Aviati 10

All 12,209 records by number of deaths, then by date

Date	Aircraft	Location	Operator	Outcome	Died
14 Sep 1969	Cessna 172G N4601L	Germantown, New York, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	2
2 Jul 1969	Cessna 172G N5772R	Petersburg, Alaska, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	2
6 Jun 1969	Cessna 172 N8040L	No.atlantic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean North Lat. not on the map	Kellys Aviatio	Fatal	2
4 Feb 1969	Cessna 172 N5871R	Dalton, Georgia, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	2
19 Jan 1969	Cessna 172 N5717A	Barksdale, Texas, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	2
1 Dec 1968	Cessna 172E N2992U	Banning, California, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	2
7 Oct 1968	Cessna 172E N7732U	Spring Place, Georgia, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	2
28 Aug 1968	Cessna 172 N2520Y	Lopez, Washington, United States not on the map	Island Sky FER	Fatal	2
23 Aug 1968	Cessna 172C N1505Y	Rock Hall, Maryland, United States approximate position	175TH Non-Comm	Fatal	2
29 May 1968	Cessna 172 N1483F	Grand Turk Is, Atlantic Ocean North Lat. not on the map	-	Fatal	2
2 May 1968	Cessna 172H N1789F	Belmont, Mississippi, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	2
14 Feb 1968	Cessna 172H N3730F	New Boston, New Hampshire, United States approximate position	Grenier Field	Fatal	2
21 Jan 1968	Cessna 172 N4142F	Liberty, Indiana, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	2
1 Nov 1967	Cessna 172 N5753R	Pueblo, Colorado, United States approximate position	Aero Training	Fatal	2
19 Oct 1967	Cessna 172 N2473L	So.hackensack, New Jersey, United States not on the map	Teterboro Airc	Fatal	2
8 Oct 1967	Cessna 172 N6629A	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	2
8 Oct 1967	Cessna 172 N8372U	Isle Culebra, Puerto Rico, United States not on the map	Inter Island A	Fatal	2
28 Sep 1967	Cessna 172 N8210X	Paris, Texas, United States approximate position	Red River Flyi	Fatal	2
6 Sep 1967	Cessna 172 N3789L	Unknown, Alaska, United States not on the map	Van Nuys Skywa	Fatal	2
30 Aug 1967	Cessna 172F N8621U	Chesterfield, Missouri, United States approximate position	Interstate Air	Fatal	2
27 May 1967	Cessna 172 N6995A	Helmville, Montana, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	2
23 Apr 1967	Cessna 172 N1609F	Unknown, Unknown/Not Reported not on the map	-	Fatal	2
31 Mar 1967	Cessna 172A N7172T	Alberhill Calif, California, United States approximate position	Associates Fly	Fatal	2
25 Mar 1967	Cessna 172E N7730U	Donalsonville, Georgia, United States approximate position	Goldwater Dist	Fatal	2
12 Mar 1967	Cessna 172G N371SR	Newhall, California, United States approximate position	Sky Roamers AI	Fatal	2
13 Feb 1967	Cessna 172G N4403L	Warrensburg, Missouri, United States approximate position	Lake Sexton AI	Fatal	2
8 Feb 1967	Cessna 172C N8449X	Bluff, Utah, United States approximate position	Air Travellers	Fatal	2
6 Jan 1967	Cessna 172F N7906U	Waco, Texas, United States approximate position	Paul Fournet A	Fatal	2
6 Dec 1966	Cessna 172 N1131F	Franklin Ark, Arkansas, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	2
23 Nov 1966	Cessna 172G N4170L	Elkhorn Iowa, Iowa, United States not on the map	-	Fatal	2
30 Sep 1966	Cessna 172F N5306R	Hempstead Tex, Texas, United States approximate position	Bryan Aero Inc	Fatal	2
20 Sep 1966	Cessna 172E N3751S	Wakpala S Dak, South Dakota, United States not on the map	The Flying BS	Fatal	2
14 Aug 1966	Cessna 172A N9742T	Davis Calif, California, United States approximate position	CAL Aggies Fly	Fatal	2
26 Jul 1966	Cessna 172 N6229E	Orleans Calif, California, United States approximate position	Redwood Proper	Fatal	2
12 Jul 1966	Cessna 172 N7484T	San Carlos Calif, California, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	2
26 Jun 1966	Cessna 172 N4106F	Hatteras Nc, North Carolina, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	2
11 Jun 1966	Cessna 172 N7204A	Seigler Sprgs Cal, California, United States approximate position	Southern Humbo	Fatal	2
26 May 1966	Cessna 172E N3887S	Wendover Nev, Nevada, United States not on the map	Cooke@S MacHin	Fatal	2
22 May 1966	Cessna 172F N8809U	Galena Alas, Alaska, United States approximate position	Wilbur@S Fligh	Fatal	2
5 May 1966	Cessna 172E N3907S	Clearwater Fla, Florida, United States approximate position	Clearwater Fly	Fatal	2
22 Apr 1966	Cessna 172F N8690U	Anchorage Alas, Alaska, United States approximate position	Elmendorf Air	Fatal	2
5 Apr 1966	Cessna 172D N2486U	Princeton W Va, West Virginia, United States approximate position	Layman Weikle	Fatal	2
4 Feb 1966	Cessna 172F N8184U	Livermore Calif, California, United States approximate position	Frad Fylers In	Fatal	2
19 Dec 1965	Cessna 172C N8470X	Castle Hayne Nc, North Carolina, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	2
10 Dec 1965	Cessna 172 N3947S	Stone, Kentucky, United States approximate position	Charleston AFB	Fatal	2
9 Dec 1965	Cessna 172 N8242U	Winterhaven Calif, California, United States approximate position	Wood Air, Inc.	Fatal	2
13 Sep 1965	Cessna 172 N9809T	West Dover, Vermont, United States approximate position	Skyhaven, Inc.	Fatal	2
22 May 1965	Cessna 172D N2597U	Etiwanda Calif, California, United States approximate position	Van Nuys Skywa	Fatal	2
24 Apr 1965	Cessna 172 N8004B	Evergreen Ala, Alabama, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	2
4 Apr 1965	Cessna 172D N2103Y	38NE Tacna Ariz, Arizona, United States not on the map	-	Fatal	2