Aircraft model
CESSNA 177B
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
The Cardinal, Cessna's attempt at a modern replacement for the 172. It has no wing strut, a wing set behind the doors so you step in without ducking under it, a wide cabin, big doors and a stabilator instead of a conventional tailplane. Pilots who have flown both usually say the Cardinal is the nicer aeroplane to sit in and to look out of; it is also about 10 knots faster than a 172 on the same 180 hp with a constant-speed propeller.
It never sold well and that history is worth knowing. The original 1968 177 had only 150 hp and a stabilator that made it easy to mishandle in the flare; Cessna fixed both with the 177A and 177B, but the reputation stuck and production ended in 1978. For a buyer, that means a good aeroplane at a modest price, offset by a smaller parts supply than a 172 and fewer mechanics who know its quirks. The specific items to check are the stabilator pivot and the nose gear, plus corrosion around the wing attachment. It is not complex or high-performance in the regulatory sense, so no endorsement is needed despite the constant-speed propeller.
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Put CESSNA 177B side by side with up to two other models.
- CESSNA 177B
What it is
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | tricycle |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Lycoming O-360-A1F6D |
| Horsepower | 180 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | FAR23 |
| Production start | 1970 |
| Production end | 1978 |
| Endorsements required | — |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 124 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 600 nm |
| Service ceiling | 14,600 ft |
| Climb rate | 840 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 46 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | 1,400 ft |
| Landing over 50 ft | 1,220 ft |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 1,010 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 716 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 2,500 lb |
| Empty weight | 1,490 lb |
| Usable fuel | 49 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 10.1 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $110,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $200,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 2,000 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $32,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $46,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 1,237 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 843 |
| Median year built | 1974.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 34 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 4 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 40.331 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 33.212 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 193 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 22.893 |
| Airworthiness directives | 5 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 1 |
| Rate confidence | ok |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 843 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 843 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: per 100 active aircraft · base 843 active.
Peer scores6
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 3-4 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | 4.8 of 101 |
| Severity | 5.2 of 102 |
| Access | 7.5 of 103 |
| Support | 8.8 of 104 |
| Liquidity | 7.2 of 105 |
| Overall (sum of the categories shown) | 33.5 out of 506 |
- Accident record: class median 32.28 · 202 models in class.
- Severity: class median 12.5.
- Access: class median 775.
- Support: class median 147.5.
- Liquidity: class median 19.9.
- Each of the five categories places the model within its peer class, from 0 (the worst of the class) to 10 (the best): a position among comparable models, not a grade. The overall score is the sum of the categories shown that are scored, out of 10 for each (50 when all five are); it is given only when at least 4 of the five are scored, and it can be set against another model's only when both are in the same peer class and scored on the same categories.