Plane Crash List

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.

6,274 of these records have no coordinates in the source data, so they appear in the list below but not on the map.

12,209
Records
1,728
Fatal
3,521
Deaths
14%
Share fatal
1964 to 2026
Period
Show these on the map 5,935 of 12,209 have coordinates

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
27 Feb 1973 Cessna 172K
N79559
 Relief, North Carolina, United States
no coordinates
 Eliz FL CLB Fatal 3
10 Nov 1972 Cessna 172
N6611A
 Paonia, Colorado, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
14 Oct 1972 Cessna 172L
N3835Q
 Grayling, Michigan, United States
no coordinates
 Wolverine Flig Fatal 3
13 Oct 1972 Cessna 172K
N79433
 Oliver Spgs, Tennessee, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
29 Jul 1972 Cessna 172
N2820Q
 La Jolla, California, United States
no coordinates
 Lease-A-Plane Fatal 3
29 Jul 1972 Cessna 172I
N46008
 La Jolla, California, United States
no coordinates
 El Cajon Flyin Fatal 3
4 Jul 1972 Cessna 172K
N79022
 Hales Corners, Wisconsin, United States
no coordinates
 West Allis Fly Fatal 3
12 Mar 1972 Cessna 172G
N4246L
 Orion, Illinois, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
24 Feb 1972 Cessna 172G
N5963R
 Bartlett, Nebraska, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
22 Dec 1971 Cessna 172K
N46509
 Newhall, California, United States
no coordinates
 Nor-Cal Flying Fatal 3
29 Oct 1971 Cessna 172
N6151E
 Opal, Wyoming, United States
no coordinates
 Skyways, Inc. Fatal 3
26 Aug 1971 Cessna 172
N6381E
 Julian, California, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
31 Jul 1971 Cessna 172K
N84711
 Bass Lake, California, United States
no coordinates
 Moffett NAS Fatal 3
10 Jul 1971 Cessna 172E
N3936S
 Montrose, South Dakota, United States
no coordinates
 Lowinske Flite Fatal 3
15 Dec 1970 Cessna 172
N6064A
 Garden City, Kansas, United States
no coordinates
 Harris Mobile Fatal 3
4 Nov 1970 Cessna 172
N78501
 Angwin, California, United States
no coordinates
 Auburn Aviatio Fatal 3
1 Nov 1970 Cessna 172G
N3750L
 Providence Frg, Virginia, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
25 Oct 1970 Cessna 172
N8312B
 Tijuana, Mexico
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
6 Aug 1970 Cessna 172K
N79594
 Anacortes, Washington, United States
no coordinates
 Air Rent Co. Fatal 3
27 Jun 1970 Cessna 172E
N7735U
 Northway, Alaska, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
18 Apr 1970 Cessna 172
N8519B
 Mammoth Lakes, California, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
10 Jan 1970 Cessna 172K
N78393
 Benson, North Carolina, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
29 Nov 1969 Cessna 172
N6416E
 Gorham, New Hampshire, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
8 Oct 1969 Cessna 172C
N1869Y
 Allison, Arkansas, United States
no coordinates
 Tower Flying C Fatal 3
31 Aug 1969 Cessna 172H
N3149X
 Newton, Iowa, United States
no coordinates
 Executive Flye Fatal 3
27 Jul 1969 Cessna 172
N8460X
 Amherstdale, West Virginia, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
18 Jul 1969 Cessna 172I
N35777
 Barrington, Illinois, United States
no coordinates
 Midwest Aircra Fatal 3
17 May 1969 Cessna 172G
N4603L
 Bg Bear Cty, California, United States
no coordinates
 High Desert AV Fatal 3
4 Apr 1969 Cessna 172
N2072Y
 Emporia, Virginia, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
22 Mar 1969 Cessna 172I
N8497L
 Spokane, Washington, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
27 Jan 1969 Cessna 172
N7285T
 Tehachapi, California, United States
no coordinates
 Tehachapi Pilo Fatal 3
4 Jan 1969 Cessna 172H
N8086L
 Ronan, Montana, United States
no coordinates
 Billings FAA A Fatal 3
15 Aug 1968 Cessna 172
N7282A
 Shade, Ohio, United States
no coordinates
 Ravenaire Inc Fatal 3
8 Jun 1968 Cessna 172
N3837S
 Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
12 May 1968 Cessna 172
N8077B
 Apple Valley, California, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
5 Mar 1968 Cessna 172C
N1868Y
 St.augustine, Florida, United States
no coordinates
 JIM Byron Avia Fatal 3
26 Jan 1968 Cessna 172
N1336Y
 Watkins, Colorado, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
28 Nov 1967 Cessna 172H
N1780F
 Newhall, California, United States
no coordinates
 Thunderbird AV Fatal 3
19 Nov 1967 Cessna 172E
N5460T
 Jamestown, Kentucky, United States
no coordinates
 Kentucky Flyin Fatal 3
8 Oct 1967 Cessna 172
N5625A
 Villa Rica, Georgia, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
10 Mar 1967 Cessna 172
N8016X
 Matagorda Is. Tex, Texas, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
2 Oct 1966 Cessna 172F
N5655R
 Woodford Calif, California, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
12 Aug 1966 Cessna 172
N6484E
 Flamingo Fla, Florida, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
24 Jul 1966 Cessna 172
N988TA
 Cascade Idaho, Idaho, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
22 Jul 1966 Cessna 172
N8823B
 Lorimor Iowa, Iowa, United States
no coordinates
 Clipper Club Fatal 3
24 May 1966 Cessna 172
N7230A
 Metaline Fls Wash, Washington, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3
15 Feb 1966 Cessna 172F
N7848U
 Palmer Pr, Puerto Rico, United States
no coordinates
 Roosevelt Road Fatal 3
7 Jan 1966 Cessna 172E
N3535S
 Pistol River Oreg, Oregon, United States
no coordinates
 Rogue Flyers Fatal 3
7 Nov 1965 Cessna 172F
N5301R
 Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
no coordinates
 Helena Air SV. Fatal 3
7 Nov 1965 Cessna 172
N7346A
 West Salem Ohio, Ohio, United States
no coordinates
 - Fatal 3