Cessna 172M
Aircraft Manufacturer: Cessna
Model: 172M
About the Cessna 172M
The Cessna 172M is the most-registered model in Cessna's active fleet. More than 3,500 172M airframes are on the U.S. civil registry. The model alone makes up about 5% of every Cessna currently on the active register.
Against that active count, the 172M has shed more than 2,500 airframes from the registry over its life. Those removals work out to about 40% of every registry record the model has ever held.
Across the type's own FAA-registration exposure, the 172M records about 3.8 accidents per 1,000 aircraft-years, and 32 of 275 recorded accidents were fatal. Measured against its own type, engine class, and seat-range cohort, the 172M lands at about half on safety percentile, a higher accident rate than about half of that cohort and a lower rate than the rest.
Aircraft Details
| Manufacturer | Cessna |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer Serial Number | 2072418 |
| Model | 172M |
| Category | Land |
| Aircraft Type | Fixed wing single engine |
| Cruise Speed | 108 MPH / 94 knots |
| Weight | Class 1 (Up to 12,499 lbs gross take off weight) |
| Engine Type | 4 Cycle |
| Number of Engines | 1 engine |
| Number of Seats | 4 seats |
Share your captured photos of the Cessna 172M, receive attribution and a link. Asking Prices
What sellers are asking for the Cessna 172M, across current listings, grouped by model year.
As of October 21, 2026. How we calculate this.
| Years | Currency | Typical asking range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970–1974 | USD | ≈ $100k – $140k | ≈ $110k |
| 1975–1979 | USD | ≈ $110k – $130k | ≈ $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.
Accidents are identity-confirmed against FAA registration records (two independent sources).
267 exact, 4 recovered, 4 provisional
MethodologyTotal recorded general-aviation accidents within the analyzed period.
32 fatal accidents.
11.6% of recorded accidents were fatal.
Active aircraft fleet size contributing to the exposure data.
72,306
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 (275)· NUSN (12)· 135 (5)· NUSC (1)· UNK (1)
Recorded Accidents
All 275 recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents for this model, most recent first.
| Date | Location | Tail | Damage | Highest injury | Phase of flight | Finding categories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham, WA | CFHGQ | Substantial | None | Taxi | Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues | |
| Desert Hot Springs, CA | N20556 | Destroyed | Fatal | Prior to flight | Personnel issues, Environmental issues, Aircraft | |
| Appleton, MN | N12181 | Substantial | None | Landing | Environmental issues, Aircraft, Personnel issues | |
| Abilene, TX | N254RA | Substantial | None | Maneuvering | Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues | |
| Miami, FL | N80298 | Substantial | None | Taxi | Personnel issues, Environmental issues | |
| Colorado Springs, CO | N27LA | Substantial | Minor | Takeoff | Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues | |
| Vergennes, VT | N73345 | Substantial | None | Taxi | Environmental issues, Personnel issues | |
| New Kent, VA | N1537U | Substantial | Serious | Approach | Personnel issues, Aircraft | |
| DePere, WI | N1085U | Substantial | Serious | Approach | Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues | |
| Crystal River, FL | N9608H | Substantial | None | Landing | Aircraft, Personnel issues | |
| Dowagiac, MI | N8994V | Substantial | Minor | Initial climb | Aircraft, Personnel issues | |
| Defuniak Springs, FL | N12267 | Substantial | None | Takeoff | Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues | |
| Livermore, CA | N1438U | Substantial | Minor | Landing | Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues | |
| Show Low, AZ | N5147N | Substantial | None | Landing | Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues | |
| Broomfield, CO | N13453 | Substantial | None | Landing | Aircraft, Environmental issues | |
| Centralia, IL | N1409U | Substantial | Serious | Takeoff | Personnel issues, Aircraft | |
| Ogden, UT | N4395R | Substantial | Fatal | Maneuvering | Aircraft, Environmental issues, Personnel issues | |
| Monroe, MI | N4491R | Substantial | None | Landing | Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues | |
| Chico, CA | N9678Q | Substantial | Minor | Enroute | Environmental issues | |
| Ramsey, MN | N7CF | Destroyed | Fatal | Maneuvering | Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues | |
| Black River Falls, WI | N9664Q | Substantial | None | Landing | Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues | |
| Gallatin, TN | N5146R | Substantial | None | Landing | Aircraft, Personnel issues | |
| New Milford, CT | N1727V | Substantial | Fatal | Initial climb | Aircraft, Personnel issues | |
| Key Biscayne, FL | N80457 | Substantial | Minor | Enroute | Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues | |
| Manassas, VA | N80399 | Substantial | None | Landing | Aircraft, Personnel issues |
Page 5 of 11 (showing accidents 101–125 of 275).