Cessna 170A

Aircraft Manufacturer: Cessna

Model: 170A

About the Cessna 170A

The Cessna 170A keeps more than 500 active aircraft on the U.S. civil registry. The 170A ranks as Cessna's 41st-largest active fleet by registered count. The 170A accounts for under 1% of Cessna's total active registered fleet.

About 40% of all 170A airframes ever recorded on the U.S. registry remain registered today. More than 600 170A airframes have been deregistered from the U.S. registry.

Across its own FAA-registration exposure, the 170A records about 5 accidents per 1,000 aircraft-years. The 170A sits at about the 80th percentile of its cohort of the same aircraft type, engine class, and seat range, where a higher percentile means a higher accident rate. At that percentile the 170A reads as a higher accident rate than most comparable types in the cohort. Of 55 recorded 170A accidents, 1 was fatal.

Aircraft Details

Aircraft Details
Manufacturer Cessna
Manufacturer Serial Number 2072304
Model 170A
Category Land
Aircraft Type Fixed wing single engine
Cruise Speed 105 MPH / 91 knots
Weight Class 1 (Up to 12,499 lbs gross take off weight)
Engine Type Reciprocating
Number of Engines 1 engine
Number of Seats 4 seats
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Safety Analysis

Composition of NTSB accident records for this model in general-aviation operations (FAR Part 91 and 137), based on NTSB data as of May 1, 2026. It's a breakdown of recorded accidents rather than a safety rating, and types with significant non-GA operation (such as Part 135) may be under-represented.

98%
Identity Confirmed

Accidents are identity-confirmed against FAA registration records (two independent sources).


52 exact, 2 recovered, 1 provisional

Methodology
55
Recorded GA Accidents

Total recorded general-aviation accidents within the analyzed period.


1 fatal accidents.

1.8% of recorded accidents were fatal.

512
Currently Registered

Active aircraft fleet size contributing to the exposure data.


10,735 (± 293)

Aircraft-years of FAA registration exposure (2008–present).


Comparison

Within its peer cohort

Within this model's peer class (same aircraft type, engine class, and seat range), comparison of its share of recorded NTSB accidents to its share of FAA registration exposure (aircraft-years since 2008).

This is a share comparison, not flight-hours adjusted, so a model flown more per airframe than its peers will show an accident share above its exposure share even if its per-hour safety is average. Methodology →

Model class Share of cohort
Accidents
0.7%
Exposure
0.5%
Time series

Accidents by year

Recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents per calendar year, derived directly from the NTSB accident database. Each bar shows the accidents that occurred in that year. Methodology →

Investigations take 12–36 months to finalise, so the trailing years come in incomplete. Recent years are adjusted upward for that lag. Observed counts show as solid bars, the lag-adjusted estimate shows hatched.

2008 – 2025 Total 55
Accidents by year Accidents by year (total 55 observed): 2008 3, 2009 3, 2010 2, 2011 5, 2012 3, 2013 2, 2014 1, 2015 4, 2016 5, 2017 6, 2018 1, 2020 3, 2021 5, 2022 3, 2023 2, 2024 5, 2025 2. 2 4 6 8 0 3 '08 3 '09 2 '10 5 '11 3 '12 2 '13 1 '14 4 '15 5 '16 6 '17 1 '18 3 '20 5 '21 3 '22 2 '23 6 '24 2 '25
Composition

Phase of flight

Which phase of flight each accident occurred in, as coded by the NTSB. Most accidents happen in the phases where most flying time is concentrated, so this isn't a measure of which phase is most dangerous.

6 categories Total 55
Landing 41
Takeoff 5
Enroute 4
Initial climb 2
Approach 2
Prior to flight 1
Causes

Finding category

Top-level NTSB cause category, from the coded investigation findings. An accident often has more than one finding, so totals here can exceed the recorded accident count.

NTSB top-level codes Total 163
Personnel issues 59
Aircraft 56
Environmental issues 47
Organizational issues 1
Outcomes

Injury severity

NTSB classification of the worst injury in each accident: None, Minor, Serious, or Fatal. Each accident counts in exactly one severity.

Highest per accident Total 55
None 44
Minor 5
Serious 5
Fatal 1

Operating-rule mix (all parts): 091 (55)

Recorded Accidents

All 55 recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents for this model, most recent first.

Date Location Tail Damage Highest injury Phase of flight Finding categories
Wheatland, WY N1421D Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Environmental issues, Personnel issues
Hayden, AL N1387D Substantial Serious Approach Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Martinsville, VA N9002A Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Hibbing, MN N1726D Substantial Serious Landing Personnel issues
Everett, WA N401P Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Palmer, AK N1311D Substantial None Takeoff Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Saginaw, MI N1441D Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Springfield, CO N9775A Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
New Milford, CT N112RP Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
East Haddam, CT N5749C Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Palmetto, FL N170TW Substantial None Prior to flight Personnel issues, Environmental issues, Aircraft
Huron, SD N9285A Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Victoria, TX N170TP Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Environmental issues
Burnet, TX N5401C Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Calexico, CA N1332D Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Ellensburg, WA N4089A Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Houston, TX N9753A Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Anchorage, AK N5406C Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Grangeville, ID N1238D Substantial Serious Initial climb Aircraft, Personnel issues
Mulino, OR N9741A Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Wasilla, AK N1742D Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Organizational issues, Aircraft
Baker Lake, WA N9768A Substantial Minor Takeoff Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Salt Lake City, UT N179MM Substantial Minor Landing Personnel issues, Environmental issues, Aircraft
Minden, NV N5765C Substantial None Landing Aircraft
Grain Valley, MO N9129A Substantial None Approach Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues

Page 2 of 3 (showing accidents 26–50 of 55).

Data presented on this website is sourced directly from official Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records. To ensure accuracy, we try not to correct issues such as improper punctuation, spelling errors, empty fields, or unusual labels like "SALE REPORTED" for a registrant. We make every effort to present information as it appears in the FAA database. This website is not affiliated with any government agency.