Aircraft model
CESSNA 172M
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
Built 1973-1976 and one of the most numerous single-engine aircraft still flying in the United States. The M introduced the conical-camber drooped wing leading edge, which improved low-speed handling and made the stall even gentler, and later M years added the 'Land-O-Matic' sprung nosegear refinements. It is a four-seat trainer and short-range tourer and makes no pretence of being anything else.
The M is the default cheap 172 and prices reflect that it is in demand. Its weaknesses are honest ones: 150 hp is not much for four seats, the standard 38 usable gallons gives a real-world still-air range of well under four hours plus reserve, and by the time you load four adults you are over gross with any meaningful fuel. Maintenance is as cheap as certified aviation gets. Where these aircraft bite is avionics and paint — a shabby M can absorb $60,000 of panel work without flying a knot faster. Buy the best-equipped, least-corroded one you can find rather than the cheapest.
What it is
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | tricycle |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Lycoming O-320-E2D |
| Horsepower | 150 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 |
| Production start | 1973 |
| Production end | 1976 |
| Endorsements required | — |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 114 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 440 nm |
| Service ceiling | 13,100 ft |
| Climb rate | 645 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 41 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | 1,525 ft |
| Landing over 50 ft | 1,250 ft |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 955 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 727 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 2,300 lb |
| Empty weight | 1,345 lb |
| Usable fuel | 38 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 8.4 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $65,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $210,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 2,000 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $28,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $40,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 6,110 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 3,578 |
| Median year built | 1974.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 149 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 14 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 41.64 per 1,000 active · base 3,578 active |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 21.8 per 1,000 active · base 3,578 active |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 695 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 19.42 per 100 active · base 3,578 active |
| Airworthiness directives | 9 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | ok |
Peer scores
A score runs from 0 to 10 within the model's peer class: a position, not a grade, and the six are never added together.
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 3-4 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | 6.9 of 10 · class median 28.36 · 202 models in class |
| Severity | 5.5 of 10 · class median 11.65 |
| Access | 8.4 of 10 · class median 767.75 |
| Support | 9.9 of 10 · class median 141.5 |
| Liquidity | 4.8 of 10 · class median 19.57 |