Cessna 172 accident near Hardin, Kentucky, January 9, 2009
On January 9, 2009 at about 12:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N28RP, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Hardin, Kentucky. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control and his impairment from illegal drug use.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 9, 2009 · about 12:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hardin, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 F · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N28RP · no longer on the register · serial 17252854
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot arrived at the airport unannounced and rented the airplane with the stated intention to perform three takeoffs and landings to retain currency, and then fly the airplane to visit his daughter. The pilot subsequently called his daughter and stated that he was not going to make the flight. The pilot then departed the following morning, before sunrise. He flew approximately 50 nautical miles, and then turned around and flew back toward the departure airport. Approximately 10 miles from the departure airport, the airplane initiated a near vertical descent in excess of 6,000 feet-per-minute, and impacted the ground in a nose-low, wings-level attitude. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no preimpact mechanical anomalies. Toxicological testing performed on the pilot revealed marijuana in the pilot's blood and lung tissue. The testing results suggested use of the illegal drug within about 3 hours of the accident, likely impairing him during the flight.
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 in flight during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Illicit drug › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Effect on personnel
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 102 hours in all; 1 in the last 90 days; 63 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 28, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 24, 2008; 69 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CEY Murray KY at 11:30 am
- Destination: MWA Marion IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from PAH, 33 miles away
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.