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
| 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 |
Share your captured photos of the Cessna 170A, receive attribution and a link. 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.
Accidents are identity-confirmed against FAA registration records (two independent sources).
52 exact, 2 recovered, 1 provisional
MethodologyTotal recorded general-aviation accidents within the analyzed period.
1 fatal accidents.
1.8% of recorded accidents were fatal.
Active aircraft fleet size contributing to the exposure data.
10,735 (± 293)
Aircraft-years of FAA registration exposure (2008–present).
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 →
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.
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.
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.
Injury severity
NTSB classification of the worst injury in each accident: None, Minor, Serious, or Fatal. Each accident counts in exactly one severity.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora, IL | N9793A | Substantial | None | Landing | Aircraft, Personnel issues | |
| Kasigluk, AK | N5490C | Substantial | None | Landing | Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues | |
| Butler, MO | N5773C | Substantial | None | Landing | Personnel issues, Environmental issues | |
| Santa Fe, NM | N9100A | Substantial | None | Landing | Personnel issues, Environmental issues | |
| Ellsworth, ME | N5407C | Substantial | None | Landing | Environmental issues, Personnel issues, Aircraft |
Page 3 of 3 (showing accidents 51–55 of 55).