Ownership guide
Cessna 172C Skyhawk
360 registered in the US, built from about 1961 to 1962, 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
- 360
- Built
- 1961 to 1962
- Half built by
- 1961
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental O-300
Engines installed
- Continental O-300350 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
30 current ADs name the 172C airframe, 3 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded. Its engines carry 7 more. 11 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
What gets reported
2 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Reciprocating Engine Cylinder Section2
Parts reported most
- Exhaust valve, stuck1
- Cylinder, separated1
The latest reports
2022-11-23 · Reciprocating Engine Cylinder Section · Exhaust valve, stuck
During annual inspection compression test, none found in #3 cylinder. disassembled, determined exhaust valve stuck in guide due carbon build up. cleaned valve and guide, re-assembled, re-installed, operation satisfactory
2017-07-07 · Reciprocating Engine Cylinder Section · Cylinder, separated
During level cruise flight at 3000ft, pilot experience catastrophic engine failure. the forward pilot side cylinder separated from the engine which also took the upper and lower section of the case half with it.
From the FAA's Service Difficulty Reporting System, refreshed monthly. Counts of what was reported, not failure rates: most of general aviation reports voluntarily, and a busy training fleet reports more than a private one.
Accident record
8 accidents since 2008, 1 fatal (1 person killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 0 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of engine power (total)3
- Powerplant sys/comp failure1
- Fuel exhaustion1
- Nose over/nose down1
- Landing gear collapse1
- Hard landing1
Phase of flight
- Initial climb3
- Landing3
- Approach1
- Enroute1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-20 | Argyle, NY | Initial climb: Powerplant sys/comp failure | None | ERA25LA123 |
| 2023-10-20 | Wichita, KS | Approach: Fuel exhaustion | None | CEN24LA019 |
| 2017-12-09 | Algona, IA | Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total) | None | CEN18LA051 |
| 2015-08-15 | Venice, LA | Landing: Nose over/nose down | Minor | CEN15LA371 |
| 2015-03-15 | Williamson, GA | Landing: Landing gear collapse | Minor | ERA15LA160 |
| 2013-10-18 | Fairbanks, AK | Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total) | Fatal | ANC14FA002 |
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.
- Ask the mechanic doing the pre-buy to look hard at the reciprocating engine cylinder section and for stuck exhaust valves: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 11 equipment ADs name the 172C (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 172Cs are registered in the US?
- 360, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 172C built?
- From about 1961 to 1962. Half of those registered today were built by 1961.
- What engine does the Cessna 172C have?
- Most have the Continental O-300 (97% of those registered).
- What are common problems with the Cessna 172C?
- In 2 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were reciprocating engine cylinder section, and the part most often reported was a stuck exhaust valve.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 172C had?
- 8 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 1 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of engine power (total). These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Cessna 172C have?
- 30 current ADs name the 172C 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.