Cessna 172N accident near Sandusky, Ohio, January 8, 1982
On January 8, 1982 at about 4:50 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N737LH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sandusky, Ohio (Griffing-Sandusky airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 8, 1982 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Sandusky, Ohio · Griffing-Sandusky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N737LH · registry record · serial 17269497
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE WIND WAS FROM THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST AT 15, GUSTING 20 KNOTS. THE FIXED BASE OPERATOR HAD ADVISED ALL PILOTS TO USE RUNWAY 18. AFTER ARRIVING, THE PILOT OF N737LH SAW ANOTHER AIRCRAFT USING RUNWAY 27 AND ELECTED TO LAND ON THAT RUNWAY. HE NOTED A LEFT CROSSWIND ON FINAL APPROACH AND CORRECTED ACCORDINGLY. AFTER TOUCHDOWN ON THE ICE COVERED RUNWAY, THE WIND BLEW THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT. THE PLANE DEPARTED THE RUNWAY, HIT A SNOWBERM, AND FLIPPED OVER ON ITS BACK.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 76 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 38 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,477 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Cleveland OH at 11:00 am
- Destination: Sandusky OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,565 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:51 am from TOL, 37 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N737LH the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI82DA022.