Ownership guide
Cessna 172A Skyhawk
429 registered in the US, built from about 1959 to 1960, 4 seats, most with the Continental O-300. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 429
- Built
- 1959 to 1960
- Half built by
- 1960
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental O-300
Engines installed
- Continental O-300417 aircraft (97%) · 7 ADs, 0 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
29 current ADs name the 172A airframe, 3 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded. Its engines carry 7 more. 12 equipment ADs name the model.
The ones that come back
ADs with a repeat action: an inspection or replacement at an interval, for as long as the AD applies. These are the airworthiness costs an owner keeps paying.
- 2011-10-09Requires retaining all of the actions from the previous AD and adding steps to the inspection procedures in the previous ADStandard practices structures · AirplaneSupersedes 87-20-03 R2Repeat actionMay 13, 2011
- 2011-06-02Requires installing a full authority digital engine control (FADEC) backup battery, replacing the supplement pilot's operating handbook and FAA approved airplane flight manual, and replacing the FADEC backup battery...Engine · AirplaneRepeat actionApr 21, 2011
- 97-12-06Requires checking the clearance between both the gascolator and cowling area and the tailpipe and cowling area, and modifying these areas immediately if any evidence of rubbing at either location is found or...Cessna Aircraft Company Model 172R Airplanes · AirplaneRepeat actionJul 9, 1997
Accident record
13 accidents since 2008, 1 fatal (4 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 2 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT)3
- Powerplant sys/comp failure1
- Landing area overshoot1
- Loss of control in flight1
- Loss of engine power (partial)1
- Roll over1
Phase of flight
- Landing5
- Initial climb3
- Takeoff2
- Approach2
- Enroute1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-16 | Fairbanks, AK | Initial climb: Powerplant sys/comp failure | Minor | ANC25LA025 |
| 2022-04-25 | Stockbridge, GA | Initial climb: Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT) | Minor | ERA22LA204 |
| 2017-07-28 | Enumclaw, WA | Landing: Landing area overshoot | Serious | WPR17LA169 |
| 2013-12-16 | Teresina municipality | Takeoff: Loss of control in flight | Fatal | ERA14WA079 |
| 2013-05-31 | Eatonville, WA | Enroute: Loss of engine power (partial) | Minor | WPR13CA252 |
| 2013-02-24 | Vineland, MN | Landing: Roll over | None | CEN13CA176 |
From the NTSB's aviation accident database, refreshed monthly; accidents only, homebuilts left out. Counts, not rates: nobody publishes how many hours each model flies, and a training fleet flies far more than a private one. Look up any case by its number in the NTSB's CAROL.
What it costs to run
Per hour flown
Per year, flown or not
- Fuel
- $0/hr
- Engine reserve
- $0/hr
- A year
- $0
- All in, per hour
- $0/hr
Everything else is yours to fill in: insurance, hangar and overhaul prices vary too much by pilot, airport and shop for a default to mean anything. Nothing you type leaves this page.
Before you buy one
- Run its N-number through the AD check: every AD that names its airframe and engine, as a checklist to take to the logbooks.
- For each repeat-action AD (3 on the airframe), find the last compliance in the logbooks and when the next one is due.
- Compare the engine's time since overhaul with its maker's published overhaul time, and look for the reason behind any long gap in flying.
- 12 equipment ADs name the 172A (a muffler, a seat belt, a display): find out which of that equipment is installed.
- Check the registration, the airworthiness certificate and the date of the last annual inspection.
- Work out the sales or use tax your state will charge with the aircraft tax calculator.
The rest of the 172 family
Questions
- How many Cessna 172As are registered in the US?
- 429, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 172A built?
- From about 1959 to 1960. Half of those registered today were built by 1960.
- What engine does the Cessna 172A have?
- Most have the Continental O-300 (97% of those registered).
- How many accidents has the Cessna 172A had?
- 13 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 1 of them fatal. The most common defining event was collision with terrain or object (non-cfit). These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Cessna 172A have?
- 29 current ADs name the 172A airframe, 3 of them with a repeat action, and 7 more name its engines. Whether each applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number and installed equipment.
Figures from the FAA aircraft registry and the FAA's Airworthiness Directives, rebuilt daily. An AD listed for a model is one to read; whether it applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number, equipment and records.