Cessna 172N accident near Wadsworth, Ohio, July 26, 2006
On July 26, 2006 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N739TG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wadsworth, Ohio. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot used an improper aborted takeoff procedure in that she failed to reduce the engine power. Factors associated with the accident were the tailwind, the wrong runway selection, the pilot's lack of experience, the guard rail, and the embankment.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 2006 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Wadsworth, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N739TG · no longer on the register · serial 17270788
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with a guard rail and an embankment during an aborted takeoff. The takeoff was being made on runway 03 (2,400 feet by 39 feet, asphalt). The student pilot reported the local winds were from 220 degrees at 7 knots. The pilot reported there were no other airplanes around the airport or on the radio and she made the "wrong decision on runway selection." The pilot stated that about half way down the runway during the takeoff roll, she received a radio call from her instructor stating that she was using the wrong runway. She stated she then made a "wrong decision" when she decided to abort the takeoff. She stated she would have been able to takeoff with a longer ground run and climb. The pilot stated she applied the brakes but, "in my panic, I did not pull the throttle or lean the gas." The airplane continued off the end of the runway where it contacted a guard rail at full power. The airplane then nosed over and came to rest approximately 25 feet down an embankment. The student pilot reported having a total of 26 hours of flight time.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 26 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 8 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Wadsworth OH at 10:20 pm
- Destination: 3G3 Wadsworth OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 185°F (85°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.