Ownership guide
Cessna 172G Skyhawk
707 registered in the US, built from about 1965 to 1966, 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
- 707
- Built
- 1965 to 1966
- Half built by
- 1966
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental O-300
Engines installed
- Continental O-300676 aircraft (96%) · 7 ADs, 0 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
33 current ADs name the 172G airframe, 3 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded. Its engines carry 7 more. 10 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
4 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- DC Generating System1
- Flight Compartment Windows1
- Reciprocating Engine Power Section1
- Aileron Control System1
Parts reported most
- Alternator, failed1
- Windshield, cracked1
- Piston, cracked1
- Turnbuckle, separated1
The latest reports
2025-07-08 · Reciprocating Engine Power Section · Piston, cracked
High oil consumption reported. borescope inspection revealed piston damage. cylinder removed and found piston cracked and separated in half. inspection of engine interior revealed suspicious piston on opposing cylinder. removed cylinder and found crack forming in continental tcm pn 530348 piston starting from bottom of skirt
2025-01-03 · DC Generating System · Alternator, failed
The al:emato, pn 15-1014, sn h'v060493, this alternaor, came apart in flight on 10/27/2024. the only indication of the failure was an ntemator fell ight. there was a loss of i engine oil. fo11unatoly, the pilot flying the aircraft landed immediately, best we can tell. tho engine experienced no damage, but had he continued to fly we would have had an engine seize.
2018-03-31 · Aileron Control System · Turnbuckle, separated
Aircraft lost aileron control in flight, declared emergency and landed. after shutdown the separated cable for left aileron from turnbuckle swedged fitting under right side of cockpit panel was discovered. aircraft grounded.
2018-02-23 · Flight Compartment Windows · Windshield, cracked
Enroute at 4500ft to ksna from ksee. approximately 10 nm out a crack appeared on the windscreen just above the pilot's air vent. the crack appeared to be moving from left side of the wind screen to right side. slowed to 90 kts and monitored the crack. closest available airport was ksna. when instructed by socal, contacted ksna and requested left downwind to rwy 20l fullstop. instructed to r
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
21 accidents since 2010, 3 fatal (6 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 2 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Aerodynamic stall/spin3
- Fuel exhaustion3
- Loss of control on ground2
- Fuel starvation2
- Loss of engine power (total)2
- Ground collision1
Phase of flight
- Enroute7
- Landing4
- Approach3
- Taxi2
- Initial climb2
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-15 | Syracuse, NY | Taxi: Ground collision | None | ERA25LA121 |
| 2024-07-13 | West bend, WI | Landing: Loss of control on ground | Minor | CEN24LA266 |
| 2024-05-30 | Greensboro, NC | Landing: Hard landing | None | ERA24LA260 |
| 2024-05-16 | Lakeport, CA | Initial climb: Fuel starvation | None | WPR24LA154 |
| 2023-12-17 | Independence, OR | Approach: Loss of visual reference | Fatal | WPR24FA057 |
| 2023-11-14 | Provo, UT | Maneuvering: Aerodynamic stall/spin | Fatal | WPR24FA035 |
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 dc generating system and for failed alternators: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 10 equipment ADs name the 172G (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 172Gs are registered in the US?
- 707, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 172G built?
- From about 1965 to 1966. Half of those registered today were built by 1966.
- What engine does the Cessna 172G have?
- Most have the Continental O-300 (96% of those registered).
- What are common problems with the Cessna 172G?
- In 4 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were dc generating system, flight compartment windows, reciprocating engine power section, and the part most often reported was a failed alternator.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 172G had?
- 21 in the NTSB's database since 2010, 3 of them fatal. The most common defining event was aerodynamic stall/spin. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Cessna 172G have?
- 33 current ADs name the 172G 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.