Ownership guide
Cessna 172E Skyhawk
606 registered in the US, built from about 1963 to 1964, 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
- 606
- Built
- 1963 to 1964
- Half built by
- 1964
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental O-300
Engines installed
- Continental O-300570 aircraft (94%) · 7 ADs, 0 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
32 current ADs name the 172E airframe, 3 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded.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
3 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Control Column Section1
- Reciprocating Engine Oil System1
- Reciprocating Engine Cylinder Section1
Parts reported most
- Yoke, broken1
- Filter adapter, backed out1
- Cylinder, cracked1
The latest reports
2025-07-14 · Reciprocating Engine Oil System · Filter adapter, backed out
Oil filter adapter became loose from accessory case causing loss of engine oil and subsequent engine failure. adapter is subject to ad 96-12-22 and was recently inspected with no defects noted, however an entry was made in the aircraft records that there was a torque check done as part of ad compliance (note: the ad does not specify this action unless there are certain conditions). it was found up
2022-01-08 · Control Column Section · Yoke, broken
During an instructional flight, while practicing steep turns, it was noticed by student and instructor that they had no up elevator control but did have down elevator control. the aircraft returned to the field, kazc and the instructor was able to make an uneventful landing using elevator trim control. visual inspection showed that the vertical component of the yoke, which pivots just under the fl
2019-05-10 · Reciprocating Engine Cylinder Section · Cylinder, cracked
Pilot reported a loud pop/bang. then rpm dropped to 1200 and loss of power. approximately 30 seconds, rpm dropped to 400, then engine stopped, acft landed safely in field. inspection, once cowling was removed (damage near nr 3 cylinder). cylinder had separated center of cylindedr base area.
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
13 accidents since 2009, 1 fatal (1 person killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 0 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of engine power (total)5
- Hard landing2
- System or component failure (not the engine)1
- Runway excursion1
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT)1
- Aerodynamic stall/spin1
Phase of flight
- Landing4
- Takeoff3
- Enroute2
- Initial climb2
- Maneuvering1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-14 | Kingman, AZ | Takeoff: Loss of engine power (total) | None | WPR26LA081 |
| 2021-09-02 | Enterprise, OR | Landing: System or component failure (not the engine) | None | WPR21LA337 |
| 2015-09-19 | Gettysburg, PA | Maneuvering: Loss of engine power (total) | Serious | ERA15LA363 |
| 2013-08-30 | Apex, NC | Landing: Runway excursion | None | ERA13CA393 |
| 2013-08-20 | Meeteetse, WY | Enroute: Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) | Minor | WPR13CA381 |
| 2012-09-01 | East bend, NC | Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total) | Minor | ERA12LA545 |
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 control column section and for broken yokes: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 11 equipment ADs name the 172E (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 172Es are registered in the US?
- 606, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 172E built?
- From about 1963 to 1964. Half of those registered today were built by 1964.
- What engine does the Cessna 172E have?
- Most have the Continental O-300 (94% of those registered).
- What are common problems with the Cessna 172E?
- In 3 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were control column section, reciprocating engine oil system, reciprocating engine cylinder section, and the part most often reported was a broken yoke.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 172E had?
- 13 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 172E have?
- 32 current ADs name the 172E 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.