Ownership guide
Cessna 172L Skyhawk
841 registered in the US, built from about 1970 to 1972, 4 seats, most with the Lycoming O-320. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 841
- Built
- 1970 to 1972
- Half built by
- 1971
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Lycoming O-320
Engines installed
- Lycoming O-320830 aircraft (99%) · 24 ADs, 3 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32 current ADs name the 172L airframe, 3 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded. Its engines carry 24 more. 14 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
11 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Wing Miscellaneous Structure2
- Trailing Edge Flaps2
- Main Landing Gear Attach Section2
- Landing Gear System1
- Emergency Locator Beacon1
- Battery/Charger System1
Parts reported most
- Stiffener, sheared2
- Tire, defective1
- Battery, corroded1
- Contactor, corroded1
- Stiffener, destroyed1
- Bracket, damaged1
The latest reports
2025-05-14 · Trailing Edge Flaps · Stiffener, sheared
Flap track stiffeners that keep the flap tracks straight and true were found to be sheared off and/or cracked
2024-12-16 · Wing, Attach Fittings · Bracket, broken
Bracket that holds lower wing skin by inboard flap track rib broke and wedged into flap track roller causing flaps not to retract
2024-10-04 · Main Landing Gear Attach Section · Bushing, debonded
New landing gear bushing 0541202-4 was installed on 9/5/2015. part total time is 1504 hours. found inner bonded material separated from the metal bushing and it had migrated outside of the bushing towards the wheel. n2864q flies about 200 hours per year and is used for private pilot training.
2024-08-12 · Spark Plug/Igniter · Spark plug, failed
Full take off power was achieved at 2500 + rpm, normal take off, and engine gauges in the green noted. rotation and climb normal until 3500 and engine surged, sputtered, and stumbled, loosing rpm to 1600-1700 rpm, with excessive vibration felt throughout aircraft. gauges all in green except rpm at 1600-1700. carb heat was immediately applied with a slight smoothing of the vibration, yet then conti
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
33 accidents since 2008, 5 fatal (9 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 2 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of control on ground8
- Collision during takeoff/land3
- Powerplant sys/comp failure2
- Fuel exhaustion2
- Loss of engine power (partial)2
- Aerodynamic stall/spin2
Phase of flight
- Landing10
- Enroute7
- Approach4
- Initial climb3
- Maneuvering2
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-18 | Micanopy, FL | Maneuvering: Powerplant sys/comp failure | None | ANC26LA088 |
| 2026-08-16 | Upland, CA | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | WPR26LA303 |
| 2026-08-04 | Chilliwack, OF | Unknown: Unknown or undetermined | Fatal | GAA26WA277A |
| 2026-02-28 | Bennettsville, SC | Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land | Minor | ERA26LA132 |
| 2025-08-14 | Walters, OK | Enroute: Unknown or undetermined | Fatal | CEN25FA320 |
| 2025-03-07 | Romeo, MI | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | CEN25LA112 |
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
Filled in for a Cessna 172L with the Lycoming O-320: the engine maker's published overhaul time. 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 wing miscellaneous structure and for sheared stiffeners: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 14 equipment ADs name the 172L (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 172Ls are registered in the US?
- 841, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 172L built?
- From about 1970 to 1972. Half of those registered today were built by 1971.
- What engine does the Cessna 172L have?
- Most have the Lycoming O-320 (99% of those registered).
- What are common problems with the Cessna 172L?
- In 11 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were wing miscellaneous structure, trailing edge flaps, main landing gear attach section, and the part most often reported was a sheared stiffener.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 172L had?
- 33 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 5 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of control on ground. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Cessna 172L have?
- 32 current ADs name the 172L airframe, 3 of them with a repeat action, and 24 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.