Cessna 172 accidents

The NTSB database holds 12,209 accidents and incidents involving the Cessna 172, recorded between 1964 to 2026. 1,728 of them were fatal (14%), and 3,521 people died.

The deadliest year was 1978, with 204 deaths.

The phase of flight recorded most often is landing (2,531 records).

Most of these records are from United States, Canada and Mexico.

6,274 of these records have no coordinates in the source data, so they appear in the list below but not on the map.

12,209

Records

1,728

Fatal

3,521

Deaths

14%

Share fatal

1964 to 2026

Period

Show these on the map 5,935 of 12,209 have coordinates

By decade

1960s 1,903

1970s 2,892

1980s 2,353

1990s 1,745

2000s 1,500

2010s 1,126

2020s 690

Where these happened

United States 11,825 Canada 28 Mexico 26 Unknown/Not Reported 18 Australia 16 Spain 13

Operators involved

American Flyers 20 Civil Air Patrol, Inc. 18 Embry-Riddle A 16 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 13 Civil Air Patr 12 General Aviati 10

All 12,209 records by number of deaths, then by date

Date	Aircraft	Location	Operator	Outcome	Died
28 May 2012	Cessna 172M PH-SKJ	Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Netherlands no coordinates	Sand Air	Fatal	4
26 May 2012	Cessna 172S N953SP	St. George, Utah, United States	Diamond Flying LLC	Fatal	4
1 Jun 2011	Cessna 172R N475ER	Wendover, Utah, United States	C/O G&B Investment Management Inc	Fatal	4
15 Oct 2010	Cessna 172N HK4631	Malaga, Colombia no coordinates	Aerolineas Alas de Columbia	Fatal	4
8 Dec 2009	Cessna 172S N5269X	Kissimmee, Florida, United States	Ramz Enterprises	Fatal	4
13 Mar 2008	Cessna 172 N284SP	Indiantown, Florida, United States	Kemper Aviation Inc.	Fatal	4
20 Jan 2008	Cessna 172N N737EJ	Corona, California, United States	Funoutside	Fatal	4
22 Jun 2006	Cessna 172N N572BA	Newry, Maine, United States	-	Fatal	4
3 Jan 2006	Cessna 172RG PT-OJN	Mendoza, Argentina	Edilson Kruger Leite	Fatal	4
22 Dec 2005	Cessna 172 N7383A	Gilroy, California, United States	Mathew M. Armstrong	Fatal	4
24 Oct 2005	Cessna 172N EC-EME	Barcelona, Spain no coordinates	-	Fatal	4
23 Aug 2005	Cessna 172 OK-HOS	Simplon, Switzerland	Sky Academy S.R.O.	Fatal	4
31 Jul 2005	Cessna 172S N65982	Key West, Florida, United States	Epic Aviation, Inc.	Fatal	4
21 May 2005	Cessna 172S N778LP	Brooklyn, New York, United States	Air Fleet Training Systems Inc.	Fatal	4
29 Aug 2003	Cessna 172N EC-EUK	Malaga, Spain no coordinates	Aerotec	Fatal	4
22 Jun 2003	Cessna 172 VHTUR	Cambelltown, Australia	Australian Civil Air Patrol	Fatal	4
14 Mar 2003	Cessna 172G VH-RPI	Trefoil Island, Australia no coordinates	Smithton Aerial Services	Fatal	4
18 Jan 2003	Cessna 172P N65906	Edgewater, Florida, United States	Comair Aviation Academy, Inc.	Fatal	4
7 May 2002	Cessna 172 HC-CBV	Mamayac, Ecuador	Transportes Aeronacionales	Fatal	4
17 Apr 2002	Cessna 172 HI-375	Pico, Duarte, Dominican Republic no coordinates	Caribair	Fatal	4
16 Mar 2002	Cessna 172P N96811	Ocean City, Maryland, United States	-	Fatal	4
28 Apr 2000	Cessna 172P N216PB	Chester, California, United States	Pacific Flight Services	Fatal	4
9 Mar 2000	Cessna 172K N79960	Sarasota, Florida, United States	-	Fatal	4
25 Aug 1999	Cessna 172N N733DH	Dyke, Virginia, United States	Skyworld Flight Training CTR	Fatal	4
10 Oct 1998	Cessna 172M N9728H	Freeport, Bahamas no coordinates	Mark Koral Holding Inc,. Ltd	Fatal	4
7 May 1998	Cessna 172N N6514E	Avalon, California, United States	-	Fatal	4
5 Oct 1996	Cessna 172RG N6267R	Grand Canyon, Arizona, United States	-	Fatal	4
28 May 1995	Cessna 172N N4773E	Lovelock, Nevada, United States	Walter L. Wardwell	Fatal	4
24 Apr 1995	Cessna 172D N2587Y	Tsaile, Arizona, United States	BOB Werra	Fatal	4
31 Oct 1994	Cessna 172N N5338D	Gerton, North Carolina, United States	Beaufort Aviation Inc.	Fatal	4
5 Sep 1994	Cessna 172RG N3745B	Truckee, California, United States	El Toro Aero Club	Fatal	4
17 Jul 1994	Cessna 172M N1259U	Sacramento, California, United States	Sacramento Aero Services	Fatal	4
16 Mar 1994	Cessna 172RG N4663V	Dulce, New Mexico, United States	Bloom, Raymond S.	Fatal	4
21 May 1993	Cessna 172N N4931D	Deerfield Beach, Florida, United States	Locair, Inc.	Fatal	4
1 Apr 1993	Cessna 172P N97462	Livermore, California, United States	Business Aircraft Center, Inc	Fatal	4
7 Feb 1993	Cessna 172K N79411	Gorman, California, United States	Paul Schmidt	Fatal	4
2 Aug 1992	Cessna 172K N1196M	Rockledge, Florida, United States	Rockledge Air Park, Inc.	Fatal	4
18 Jul 1992	Cessna 172N N4500E	Lake Michigan, Michigan, United States no coordinates	Battle Creek Air Service, Inc.	Fatal	4
7 Jul 1992	Cessna 172N N6376F	St Paul, Minnesota, United States	Wings, Inc.	Fatal	4
17 Dec 1991	Cessna 172N N73920	Cumberland, Wisconsin, United States	American Air Center Inc.	Fatal	4
27 Nov 1991	Cessna 172RG N9589B	Litchfield, Minnesota, United States	Wright Aero, Inc.	Fatal	4
6 Oct 1991	Cessna 172G N1372F	Miltonfreewater, Oregon, United States	Charles W. Wolfkiel	Fatal	4
9 Dec 1989	Cessna 172M N1326U	Linden, Michigan, United States	107TH Flying Club Inc	Fatal	4
2 Sep 1989	Cessna 172P N65595	Northfield, New Hampshire, United States no coordinates	Harry P. Avakian	Fatal	4
13 Aug 1989	Cessna 172P N99901	Pass-A-Grille, Florida, United States	-	Fatal	4
25 Jun 1989	Cessna 172P N53667	Caesars Head, South Carolina, United States	Cornerstone Aviation	Fatal	4
28 Mar 1989	Cessna 172XP N736RT	Hondo, Texas, United States	-	Fatal	4
5 Sep 1988	Cessna 172E N3841S	Petersburg, Alaska, United States	Everett D. Earlywine	Fatal	4
4 Sep 1988	Cessna 172 N54814	Grand Canyon, Arizona, United States	-	Fatal	4
16 Apr 1988	Cessna 172G N4493L	Los Banos, California, United States no coordinates	Satern, DON	Fatal	4