Cessna 172 accident near West Jefferson, Ohio, April 11, 1983
On April 11, 1983 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N1705F, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Jefferson, Ohio (Private Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 11, 1983 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- West Jefferson, Ohio · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N1705F · registry record · serial 55100
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE MADE A NORMAL APPROACH AND WAS ABOUT TO LAND WHEN HE ADDED POWER TO LAND OVER A ROUGH AREA OF THE GRASS STRIP. HE WAS MAINTAINING JUST ABOVE STALL SPEED AND AT MINUMUM CONTROL WHEN A GUST OF WIND PUSHED THE ACFTTO THE RIGHT TOWARD THE FENCE. THE PILOT ADDED POWER BUT TOO LATE. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN STILL DRIFTING TOWARD THE FENCE. THE ACFT STARTED BACK TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE STRIP BUT THE RIGHT TIP OF THE REAR STABILIZER CAUGHT THE FENCE. WIND WAS GUSTING TO 15 KNOTS.
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: 273 hours in all; 207 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 187 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,437 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 1982; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 3,500 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.