Ownership guide
Cessna R172K Hawk XP
643 registered in the US, built from about 1976 to 1980, 4 seats, most with the Continental IO-360. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 643
- Built
- 1976 to 1980
- Half built by
- 1977
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental IO-360
Engines installed
- Continental IO-360602 aircraft (94%) · 17 ADs, 1 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
18 current ADs name the R172K airframe, 2 with a repeat action; 2 more were superseded. Its engines carry 17 more. 5 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
1 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- AC Generator-Alternator1
Parts reported most
- Alternator, failed1
The latest reports
2026-02-16 · AC Generator-Alternator · Alternator, failed
Pilot had an alternator failure in cruise.
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
25 accidents since 2008, 7 fatal (13 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 4 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of engine power (total)4
- Loss of control in flight3
- Hard landing2
- Loss of control on ground2
- Midair collision2
- Loss of engine power (partial)2
Phase of flight
- Landing7
- Enroute7
- Maneuvering3
- Takeoff3
- Initial climb3
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-02-17 | Trapper creek, AK | Maneuvering: Low altitude operation/event | None | ANC24LA015 |
| 2023-09-01 | Plover, WI | Maneuvering: Loss of engine power (total) | None | CEN23LA393 |
| 2022-12-16 | Brooksville, FL | Landing: Hard landing | Minor | ERA23LA091 |
| 2022-08-12 | Fairbanks, AK | Landing: Loss of control on ground | Minor | ANC22LA065 |
| 2021-10-31 | Rexburg, ID | Landing: Loss of engine power (total) | None | WPR22LA025 |
| 2018-12-29 | Chesaning, MI | Approach: Loss of control in flight | Fatal | CEN19LA050 |
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 (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 ac generator-alternator and for failed alternators: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 5 equipment ADs name the R172K (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 R172 family
Questions
- How many Cessna R172Ks are registered in the US?
- 643, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna R172K built?
- From about 1976 to 1980. Half of those registered today were built by 1977.
- What engine does the Cessna R172K have?
- Most have the Continental IO-360 (94% of those registered).
- What are common problems with the Cessna R172K?
- In 1 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were ac generator-alternator, and the part most often reported was a failed alternator.
- How many accidents has the Cessna R172K had?
- 25 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 7 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 R172K have?
- 18 current ADs name the R172K airframe, 2 of them with a repeat action, and 17 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.