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
24 Dec 1971	Cessna 172F N7856U	Oneonta, Alabama, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
22 Dec 1971	Cessna 172 N3941L	Seguin, Texas, United States approximate position	Seguin Flight	Fatal	1
11 Dec 1971	Cessna 172 N2501Y	Buckhannon, West Virginia, United States approximate position	Charlie Brown	Fatal	1
5 Dec 1971	Cessna 172H N3288L	Granton, Wisconsin, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
25 Oct 1971	Cessna 172A N7570T	Bagdad, Arizona, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
10 Oct 1971	Cessna 172H N1448F	Fitzgerald, Georgia, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
9 Oct 1971	Cessna 172 N84577	Boone, North Carolina, United States approximate position	Fayetteville A	Fatal	1
7 Sep 1971	Cessna 172K N7408G	Sparks, Nevada, United States approximate position	General Aviati	Fatal	1
6 Sep 1971	Cessna 172K N78373	Bg Bear Cty, California, United States approximate position	Ginnys Flying	Fatal	1
30 Aug 1971	Cessna 172B N7982X	Forbes, North Dakota, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
22 Aug 1971	Cessna 172 N8249B	Stanfield, Arizona, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
15 Aug 1971	Cessna 172E N3806S	Greene, New York, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
13 Aug 1971	Cessna 172K N79407	Atlanta, Georgia, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
5 Aug 1971	Cessna 172 N6389E	Bridgewater, Iowa, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
16 Jun 1971	Cessna 172 N5660A	Palo Alto, California, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
6 Jun 1971	Cessna 172E N3710S	Villalba, Puerto Rico, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
15 May 1971	Cessna 172E N5678T	El Cajon, California, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
8 May 1971	Cessna 172H N2658L	Hollywood, Maryland, United States approximate position	Professional F	Fatal	1
28 Mar 1971	Cessna 172 N2324U	Glenallen, Alaska, United States not on the map	-	Fatal	1
6 Feb 1971	Cessna 172G N4678L	Marshalltown, Iowa, United States approximate position	Montgomery COU	Fatal	1
30 Jan 1971	Cessna 172G N4356L	Chevrolet, Kentucky, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
19 Dec 1970	Cessna 172 N4431L	Reardan, Washington, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
26 Aug 1970	Cessna 172 N79511	Agness, Oregon, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
6 Aug 1970	Cessna 172 N16HP	Wooster, Ohio, United States approximate position	Ohio State HIW	Fatal	1
31 May 1970	Cessna 172 N7487T	Missing Aircraft, Unknown/Not Reported not on the map	ANN Arbor Aero	Fatal	1
6 Apr 1970	Cessna 172H N2506L	St Petersburg, Florida, United States approximate position	Florida Air MO	Fatal	1
7 Mar 1970	Cessna 172 N7554X	Gulf of Mexico, Other-International Waters not on the map	-	Fatal	1
6 Mar 1970	Cessna 172 N79400	Douglas, Arizona, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
22 Feb 1970	Cessna 172 N8913B	Muscatine, Iowa, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
22 Feb 1970	Cessna 172E N3004U	New Orleans, Louisiana, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
7 Feb 1970	Cessna 172K N84262	Chesapeake Bch, Maryland, United States approximate position	Glenn Auto REN	Fatal	1
20 Jan 1970	Cessna 172I N35403	Merritt Islnd, Florida, United States approximate position	Tampa Air Cent	Fatal	1
3 Jan 1970	Cessna 172 N7829U	Missing Aircraft, Unknown/Not Reported not on the map	East Hampton F	Fatal	1
27 Nov 1969	Cessna 172G N3814L	Hazelhurst, Mississippi, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
11 Nov 1969	Cessna 172 N7180T	Mena, Arkansas, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
6 Nov 1969	Cessna 172G N4145L	Missing Aircraft, Unknown/Not Reported not on the map	Flying Ten, Inc	Fatal	1
27 Sep 1969	Cessna 172 N78284	Walsenburg, Colorado, United States approximate position	Pueblo Aircraf	Fatal	1
19 Sep 1969	Cessna 172G N4620L	Morgan City, Louisiana, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
12 Sep 1969	Cessna 172H N3774R	Sacramento, California, United States approximate position	McClellan AFB	Fatal	1
8 Sep 1969	Cessna 172 N6444E	Hendersonville, North Carolina, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
3 Aug 1969	Cessna 172H N1662F	Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States approximate position	El Dorado Avia	Fatal	1
3 Aug 1969	Cessna 172K N79073	Fort Worth, Texas, United States approximate position	Abilene Flight	Fatal	1
28 Jun 1969	Cessna 172F N5534R	Brinkley, Arkansas, United States approximate position	Adventures In	Fatal	1
23 Jun 1969	Cessna 172G N4192L	Karval, Colorado, United States approximate position	Scott AFB Aero	Fatal	1
16 Apr 1969	Cessna 172D N50001	Summerton, South Carolina, United States approximate position	Hampton Flying	Fatal	1
7 Apr 1969	Cessna 172E N5716T	Tarkio, Missouri, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
19 Jan 1969	Cessna 172 N79103	Essex, California, United States approximate position	Floair, Inc	Fatal	1
27 Dec 1968	Cessna 172F N7878U	Kennett, Missouri, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
26 Dec 1968	Cessna 172 N9200V	Sandia Park, New Mexico, United States approximate position	-	Fatal	1
5 Dec 1968	Cessna 172 N7039T	Stone Mountain, Georgia, United States approximate position	Transway, Inc.	Fatal	1