Ownership guide
Cessna 172D Skyhawk
458 registered in the US, built from about 1962 to 1963, 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
- 458
- Built
- 1962 to 1963
- Half built by
- 1963
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental O-300
Engines installed
- Continental O-300448 aircraft (98%) · 7 ADs, 0 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
31 current ADs name the 172D airframe, 3 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded.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
5 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Horizontal Stabilizer, Spar/Rib1
- Elevator Control System1
- Master Cylinder/Brake Valve1
- Fuel Storage1
- Wing Main, Frame Structure1
Parts reported most
- Spar, cracked1
- Bracket, dented1
- Piston rod, broken1
- Fuel tank, broken1
- Spar, corroded1
The latest reports
2026-01-21 · Elevator Control System · Bracket, dented
Elevator stop bolt bracket compromised due to excessive force / wind damage, causing the lower elevator stop bolt to break the nut plate and indent the bracket requiring replacement. this failure causes the aircraft elevator to travel beyond the allowable limits causing an unsafe flight condition and for the aircraft to become un-airworthy as it no longer conforms to the specifications of the tcds
2024-04-11 · Wing Main, Frame Structure · Spar, corroded
Found major intergranular corrosion on both rear wing attach points . block bearing p/n 0512122. wings were removed for restoration. further flight would have led to total wing failure and wing separating from fuselage. similar damage found on another aircraft same year and model.
2024-04-10 · Fuel Storage · Fuel tank, broken
Removed the rh fuel tank to facilitate other maintenance. found fuel tank baffle spot welds broken. the baffle was able to move around freely inside the tank. this could cause false fuel quantity indications due to interference with the transmitter float. this is likely caused by intentionally allowing the fueling nozzle to make contact with the baffle to support the weight of the fueling nozz
2022-09-20 · Master Cylinder/Brake Valve · Piston rod, broken
The threaded end of the right brake master cylinder piston rod snapped off while bleeding the brakes. the seats were out of the aircraft for annual inspection so the rudder pedal was only being pushed by hand. the broken end of the rod looked like it had been cracked for some time as it appeared to be kind of crystalline and blackened through about 75% of the diameter of the rod. i didn't see a
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
15 accidents since 2009, 1 fatal (1 person killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 2 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of engine power (total)6
- Loss of control in flight3
- Fuel starvation2
- Fuel related1
- Aircraft wake turb encounter1
- Miscellaneous/other1
Phase of flight
- Enroute6
- Initial climb3
- Approach2
- Maneuvering2
- Prior to flight1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-19 | Post, TX | Enroute: Fuel starvation | None | CEN26LA069 |
| 2018-06-16 | Quinton, VA | Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total) | Serious | ERA18LA169 |
| 2017-12-07 | Auburn, WA | Approach: Loss of control in flight | None | WPR18LA047 |
| 2015-07-03 | Shenandoah, TX | Enroute: Fuel related | Minor | CEN15LA292 |
| 2015-01-04 | Fresno, CA | Enroute: Loss of engine power (total) | None | WPR15LA077 |
| 2014-03-08 | Fairhope, AL | Approach: Aircraft wake turb encounter | Serious | ERA14LA147 |
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 horizontal stabilizer, spar/rib and for cracked spars: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 11 equipment ADs name the 172D (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 172Ds are registered in the US?
- 458, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 172D built?
- From about 1962 to 1963. Half of those registered today were built by 1963.
- What engine does the Cessna 172D have?
- Most have the Continental O-300 (98% of those registered).
- What are common problems with the Cessna 172D?
- In 5 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were horizontal stabilizer, spar/rib, elevator control system, master cylinder/brake valve, and the part most often reported was a cracked spar.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 172D had?
- 15 in the NTSB's database since 2009, 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 172D have?
- 31 current ADs name the 172D 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.