Cessna 172P accident near Athens, Ohio, June 9, 2008
On June 9, 2008 at about 2:20 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N230U, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Athens, Ohio (Ohio University airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. A factor contributing to the accident was a nose wheel vibration.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 2008 · about 2:20 pm local time
- Place
- Athens, Ohio · Ohio University · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N230U · registry record · serial 17275380
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was substantially damaged when it departed the paved runway surface and struck a ditch, resulting in damage to the firewall and forward fuselage. The student pilot reported that the accident flight was his first solo flight without an instructor aboard. Immediately prior to the accident flight, the student and his instructor had made a flight which included landing practice. Subsequent to the accident flight, the instructor endorsed the student pilot's logbook authorizing the solo flight. The student pilot reported that he flew a traffic pattern approach to landing. After touchdown, he inadvertently added power to do a touch and go rather than a full stop landing. Upon realizing that he was to make a full stop landing, he reduced power and applied the brakes. He reported that the nose wheel began to shimmy, and he applied the brakes harder. The airplane subsequently went off the side of the runway into the grass, and struck a ditch before coming to a stop.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Operating environment › Airport facilities/design › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 13 hours in all; 13 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UNI Athens OH at 2:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 5,600 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.