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
22 Apr 1980	Cessna 172M N61952	So.lake Tahoe, California, United States not on the map	Lake Tahoe AVN	Fatal	1
9 Mar 1980	Cessna 172M N20545	Englewood, Colorado, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
26 Feb 1980	Cessna 172XP N758HQ	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
18 Feb 1980	Cessna 172RG N6265R	Palm Bay, Florida, United States approximate position	Dewkat AVN, Inc	Fatal	1
10 Jan 1980	Cessna 172 N589RA	Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States approximate position	Ross School of	Fatal	1
21 Dec 1979	Cessna 172H N1792F	Moshiem, Texas, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
16 Dec 1979	Cessna 172 N6647A	Washingtnville, New York, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
20 Sep 1979	Cessna 172D N2331U	Greenwich, Connecticut, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
10 Sep 1979	Cessna 172 N80979	Elkins, West Virginia, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
9 Sep 1979	Cessna 172 N5747A	Lancaster, California, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
8 Sep 1979	Cessna 172N N1944F	Lafayette, Louisiana, United States approximate position	Paul Fournet A	Fatal	1
18 Aug 1979	Cessna 172M N6630H	Mount Union, Pennsylvania, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
26 Jul 1979	Cessna 172 N9138B	Jenkins, Kentucky, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
20 Jul 1979	Cessna 172 N6250D	Mesa, Arizona, United States approximate position	Sup.air Servic	Fatal	1
14 Jul 1979	Cessna 172 N1695E	Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
1 Jun 1979	Cessna 172N N1667E	MacKville, Kentucky, United States approximate position	Hiegel Aviatio	Fatal	1
26 Feb 1979	Cessna 172M N1539V	Fort Scott, Kansas, United States approximate position	Fort Scott AVI	Fatal	1
25 Feb 1979	Cessna 172B N7850X	Orlando, Florida, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
27 Dec 1978	Cessna 172A N7678T	Park Valley, Utah, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
19 Dec 1978	Cessna 172 N739DN	Oshkosh, Nebraska, United States approximate position	DON Air Servic	Fatal	1
17 Dec 1978	Cessna 172 N7015A	Rawlings, Wyoming, United States not on the map	-	Fatal	1
5 Dec 1978	Cessna 172G N5979R	Cuyamaca, California, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
21 Nov 1978	Cessna 172 N3292L	Mt Airy, North Carolina, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
18 Nov 1978	Cessna 172H N2757L	Kent, Texas, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
12 Nov 1978	Cessna 172N N739HG	Sn Jun Cpstrn, California, United States approximate position	Shaw Airmotive	Fatal	1
27 Oct 1978	Cessna 172M N5131H	Gallipolis, Ohio, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
20 Oct 1978	Cessna 172 N1333Y	Provo, Utah, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
8 Oct 1978	Cessna 172 N6018R	Bridgeport, Texas, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
20 Sep 1978	Cessna 172M N20285	Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States approximate position	Ecaf Flying CL	Fatal	1
11 Sep 1978	Cessna 172N N666ZH	Gautier, Mississippi, United States approximate position	Zapta Haynie C	Fatal	1
14 Aug 1978	Cessna 172 N7071T	Evansville, Indiana, United States approximate position	Skylane Fly SV	Fatal	1
31 Jul 1978	Cessna 172N N711RH	Big Bear, California, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
28 Jul 1978	Cessna 172 N8838V	Ocoee, Florida, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
22 Jul 1978	Cessna 172B N7684X	Selmer, Tennessee, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
19 Jul 1978	Cessna 172L N7940G	Durham, Arkansas, United States approximate position	Springdale F S	Fatal	1
30 Apr 1978	Cessna 172 N1GH	Missing Aircraft, Unknown/Not Reported not on the map	-	Fatal	1
22 Apr 1978	Cessna 172 N2304U	Benoit, Mississippi, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
2 Apr 1978	Cessna 172D N2049Y	West Helena, Arkansas, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
18 Mar 1978	Cessna 172 N25435	Alta, Wyoming, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
21 Dec 1977	Cessna 172M N12699	Orland, California, United States approximate position	Wes-Martin AVI	Fatal	1
7 Sep 1977	Cessna 172N N75ER	Bunnell, Florida, United States approximate position	Embry Riddle A	Fatal	1
7 Sep 1977	Cessna 172 N733QS	Key West, Florida, United States approximate position	Island City FL	Fatal	1
5 Sep 1977	Cessna 172 N1975V	Rockford, Illinois, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
30 Aug 1977	Cessna 172M N64190	Henning, Minnesota, United States approximate position	Fuzz Flying CL	Fatal	1
29 Aug 1977	Cessna 172M N20430	Manchester, Kentucky, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
22 Aug 1977	Cessna 172N N75810	Salem, Michigan, United States approximate position	Plymouth Aero	Fatal	1
31 Jul 1977	Cessna 172 N5676R	Mayfield, New York, United States approximate position	Top Flight Inc	Fatal	1
30 Jul 1977	Cessna 172F N5606R	Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States approximate position	Aerocrop Servi	Fatal	1
31 May 1977	Cessna 172 N20480	Cavetown, Maryland, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
22 May 1977	Cessna 172 N8031B	East Dundee, Illinois, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1