Cessna 172S

Aircraft Manufacturer: Cessna

Model: 172S

About the Cessna 172S

The Cessna 172S records about 9.7 accidents per 1,000 aircraft-years over its FAA-registration exposure. Measured against peers of the same aircraft type, engine class, and seat range, that places the model in a safety percentile band covering nearly all of the cohort, where a higher percentile means a higher accident rate. Read against that cohort, the 172S carries a higher accident rate than nearly all comparable types. Of 418 recorded accidents, 40 were fatal.

The Cessna 172S is the most-registered model in Textron Aviation's active lineup, with more than 1,000 airframes on the U.S. civil registry. That standing accounts for about 28% of the manufacturer's active fleet. Of every registry record the model has ever held, about two-thirds remain registered today.

Aircraft Details

Aircraft Details
Manufacturer Cessna
Manufacturer Serial Number 2072449
Model 172S
Category Land
Aircraft Type Fixed wing single engine
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.

97%
Identity Confirmed

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


384 exact, 22 recovered, 12 provisional

Methodology
418
Recorded GA Accidents

Total recorded general-aviation accidents within the analyzed period.


40 fatal accidents.

9.6% of recorded accidents were fatal.

3,142
Currently Registered

Active aircraft fleet size contributing to the exposure data.


43,076 (± 1,360)

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
5.6%
Exposure
2.2%
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 – 2026 Total 418
Accidents by year Accidents by year (total 418 observed): 2008 30, 2009 24, 2010 25, 2011 23, 2012 31, 2013 25, 2014 18, 2015 18, 2016 29, 2017 26, 2018 23, 2019 26, 2020 19, 2021 22, 2022 12, 2023 19, 2024 21, 2025 21, 2026 6. 9 18 27 36 0 30 '08 24 '09 25 '10 23 '11 31 '12 25 '13 18 '14 18 '15 29 '16 26 '17 23 '18 26 '19 19 '20 22 '21 12 '22 21 '23 23 '24 24 '25 18 '26
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.

11 categories Total 416
Landing 198
Takeoff 46
Approach 41
Enroute 33
Taxi 31
Maneuvering 23
Initial climb 21
Standing 10
Unknown 9
Prior to flight 3
Uncontrolled descent 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 1,125
Personnel issues 518
Aircraft 362
Environmental issues 220
Not determined 24
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 411
None 321
Fatal 40
Minor 35
Serious 15

Operating-rule mix (all parts): 091 (418)· NUSN (22)· UNK (4)· 129 (1)· 135 (1)· PUBU (1)

Recorded Accidents

All 418 recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents for this model, most recent first.

Date Location Tail Damage Highest injury Phase of flight Finding categories
St. Augustine, FL N309BR Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Phoenix, AZ N796WW Substantial None Takeoff Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
La Grange, TX N212BS Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Daytona Beach, FL N408ER Substantial None Taxi Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Daytona Beach, FL N465ER Substantial None Taxi Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Ocean City, MD N197ME Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
WESTMINSTER, MD N618PD Substantial Minor Approach Aircraft, Personnel issues
Elkton, FL N35585 Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Katy, TX N517LA Destroyed Fatal Enroute Not determined, Aircraft, Personnel issues
Vineyard Haven, MA N677DM Substantial None Approach Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Phoenix, AZ N606JA Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Pescadero, CA N3504A Destroyed Fatal Maneuvering Not determined
Edwards Air Force Base, CA N106ED Substantial unknown unknown Not determined
Scottsdale, AZ N6023V Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Spring, TX N494JB Substantial None Taxi Aircraft, Personnel issues
Mansfield, MA N224TA Substantial Fatal Initial climb Personnel issues, Aircraft
Princeton, NJ N5338N Substantial None Landing Environmental issues
Sanford, FL N572ND Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Reno, NV N670CS Substantial None Takeoff Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Grand Prairie, TX N565SP Substantial None Enroute Personnel issues
Grand Prairie, TX N52243 Substantial None Enroute Personnel issues
Sugar Land, TX N17SJ Substantial None Takeoff Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Mesa, AZ N976SP Substantial None Taxi Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Ogden, UT N21621 Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Roche Harbor, WA N24ME Substantial None Takeoff Personnel issues, Aircraft

Page 6 of 17 (showing accidents 126–150 of 418).

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.