Cessna 170B

Aircraft Manufacturer: Cessna

Model: 170B

About the Cessna 170B

More than 1,000 Cessna 170B airframes remain on the U.S. civil registry. The Cessna 170B holds the 11th-largest active fleet in Cessna's lineup and accounts for about 2% of the manufacturer's active registered aircraft. Of every registry record the type has ever held, about half are still registered today.

Across a cohort matched by type, engine class, and seat range, the Cessna 170B records a higher accident rate than roughly three-quarters of comparable types, where a higher percentile means a higher accident rate. The model records about 5.1 accidents per 1,000 aircraft-years over its FAA-registration exposure. Of 135 recorded Cessna 170B accidents, 7 were fatal.

Aircraft Details

Aircraft Details
Manufacturer Cessna
Manufacturer Serial Number 2072306
Model 170B
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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Asking Prices

What sellers are asking for the Cessna 170B, across current listings, grouped by model year.
As of October 14, 2026. How we calculate this.

Years Currency Typical asking range Median
1950–1954 USD ≈ $110k – $170k ≈ $120k

These are asking prices, not sale prices. What any one aircraft asks or sells for can swing widely with airframe and engine condition, damage history, avionics, paint and interior, logbooks and service records, and plenty else a listing never shows.

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.

99%
Identity Confirmed

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


119 exact, 15 recovered, 1 provisional

Methodology
135
Recorded GA Accidents

Total recorded general-aviation accidents within the analyzed period.


7 fatal accidents.

5.2% of recorded accidents were fatal.

1,300
Currently Registered

Active aircraft fleet size contributing to the exposure data.


26,490

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
1.8%
Exposure
1.3%
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 135
Accidents by year Accidents by year (total 135 observed): 2008 3, 2009 13, 2010 9, 2011 4, 2012 6, 2013 13, 2014 11, 2015 9, 2016 3, 2017 7, 2018 8, 2019 7, 2020 8, 2021 7, 2022 6, 2023 5, 2024 8, 2025 8. 4 8 12 16 0 3 '08 13 '09 9 '10 4 '11 6 '12 13 '13 11 '14 9 '15 3 '16 7 '17 8 '18 7 '19 8 '20 7 '21 6 '22 5 '23 9 '24 9 '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.

7 categories Total 135
Landing 76
Takeoff 32
Initial climb 7
Enroute 6
Maneuvering 6
Taxi 4
Approach 4
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 396
Personnel issues 159
Aircraft 146
Environmental issues 88
Not determined 2
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 135
None 105
Minor 15
Serious 8
Fatal 7

Operating-rule mix (all parts): 091 (135)· NUSN (3)

Recorded Accidents

All 135 recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents for this model, most recent first.

Date Location Tail Damage Highest injury Phase of flight Finding categories
Eustis, ME N3576D Substantial Minor Takeoff Personnel issues, Aircraft
Knoxville, TN N4584C Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Livermore Falls, ME N170JL Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Faith, SD N3443C Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Homer, AK N2694D Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Denali Park, AK N2655D Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Fort Morgan, CO N1996C Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Environmental issues
Gainesville, GA N2480D Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Lancaster, CA N1977C Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Healy, AK N2524D Substantial None Takeoff Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Tacoma, WA N4402B Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Tok, AK N2839C Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Smithfield, NC N2257D Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Sealy, TX N74887 Substantial None Takeoff Personnel issues, Aircraft
Scappoose, OR N1657D Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Endicott, NY N8084A Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Cameron Park, CA N170HT Substantial Minor Landing Aircraft
Fremont Island, UT N1664D Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Elko, NV N8223A Substantial None Takeoff Environmental issues, Aircraft
Tracy, CA N2771C Substantial None Landing Environmental issues, Personnel issues, Aircraft
Queen Creek, AZ N2207D Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Environmental issues
Gage, OK N2710D Destroyed Fatal Approach Personnel issues
Monument Valley, UT N1961C Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Fairbank's, AK N4493B Substantial None Takeoff Aircraft, Personnel issues
Big Lake, AK N2692D Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues

Page 1 of 6 (showing accidents 1–25 of 135).

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.