Ownership guide
Cessna 172RG Cutlass RG
437 registered in the US, built from about 1979 to 1985, 4 seats, most with the Lycoming O-360. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 437
- Built
- 1979 to 1985
- Half built by
- 1980
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Lycoming O-360
Engines installed
- Lycoming O-360402 aircraft (92%) · 24 ADs, 3 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
25 current ADs name the 172RG airframe, 2 with a repeat action; 1 more were superseded. Its engines carry 24 more. 8 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
- 2001-23-03Extend the inspections and installation of the switch cover requirement to certain 172N, 172P, R172K, 172RG, F172N, F172P, FR172J, and FR172K series airplanesCessna Aircraft Company Models 172N, 172P, R172K, 172RG, F172N, F172P, FR172J, and FR172K Airplanes · AirplaneSupersedes 80-04-08Repeat actionNov 15, 2001
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
- Hydraulic System, Main2
- Landing Gear Actuator1
- Aileron Control System1
- Reciprocating Engine Cylinder Section1
- Magneto/Distributor1
- Landing Gear Retraction/Extension System1
Parts reported most
- Actuator, broken1
- Control cable, corroded1
- Bolt, broken1
- Impulse coupling, out of position1
- Pin, broken1
- Spar, cracked1
The latest reports
2024-08-06 · Aileron Control System · Control cable, corroded
During annual inspection after an extended period of non-flying outside storage, we found both aileron control cables corroded where they pass over the pulleys at the top of the cabin at the wing root. refer to aileron cable corrosion inspection. one cable was severely corroded- more than 30% of cable thickness had been lost. this pulley was also damaged. the other cable had lost about 10% of t
2022-05-29 · Hydraulic System, Main · Powerpack, leaking
After take off, the landing gear selector handle was re-positioned to retract the landing gear. the landing gear would not fully retracted. the emergency hand pump was used to manually extend the landing gear down and locked. the pilot landed the aircraft without further incident. 5606 hydraulic fluid was found to be dripping from the fuselage belly. aircraft was jacked and the landing gear actuat
2022-03-22 · Landing Gear System · Powerpack, intermittent
Momentarily after landing gear retraction during training, the landing gear motor circuit breaker was found disengaged. one cb reset attempted but resulted in another tripping. cb was left disengaged. very slight odor was noticed. manual landing extension was performed. aircraft landed without further incident. maintenance troubleshot and replaced the landing gear hydraulic power pack motor / pump
2020-09-21 · Hydraulic System, Main · Line, broken
Nose gear up hose p/n s2178-4-0105 pulled out of its crimped ferrule on landing gear up cycle during flight. all hydraulic fluid lost from hydraulic power pack. emergency gear down system was inoperable due to no hydraulic fluid.
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
51 accidents since 2008, 3 fatal (4 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 1 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Landing gear not configured13
- System or component failure (not the engine)8
- Hard landing4
- Loss of engine power (partial)3
- Landing gear collapse3
- Loss of engine power (total)2
Phase of flight
- Landing22
- Approach9
- Enroute6
- Maneuvering5
- Standing2
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-01 | Pembroke pines, FL | Landing: Landing gear not configured | None | ERA26LA126 |
| 2025-04-23 | Louisburg, NC | Initial climb: Loss of engine power (partial) | None | ERA25LA188 |
| 2024-10-06 | Ejido de treinta y tres | Enroute: Loss of engine power (total) | None | GAA25WA006 |
| 2024-05-22 | Chandeleur island, LA | Enroute: Powerplant sys/comp failure | None | CEN24LA211 |
| 2022-07-16 | Aaachen | Unknown: Midair collision | GAA22WA241A | |
| 2022-04-06 | Waterville, ME | Landing: Hard landing | None | ERA22LA183 |
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 172RG with the Lycoming O-360: 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 (2 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 hydraulic system, main and for broken actuators: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 8 equipment ADs name the 172RG (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 172RGs are registered in the US?
- 437, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 172RG built?
- From about 1979 to 1985. Half of those registered today were built by 1980.
- What engine does the Cessna 172RG have?
- Most have the Lycoming O-360 (92% of those registered).
- What are common problems with the Cessna 172RG?
- In 11 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were hydraulic system, main, landing gear actuator, aileron control system, and the part most often reported was a broken actuator.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 172RG had?
- 51 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 3 of them fatal. The most common defining event was landing gear not configured. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Cessna 172RG have?
- 25 current ADs name the 172RG airframe, 2 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.