Cessna C172R accident near Lexington, Kentucky, November 30, 2003
On November 30, 2003 at about 5:41 pm local time, a Cessna C172R, registered N9968F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lexington, Kentucky (Lexington Bluegrass Airport). It was an instructional 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The ground controller's failure to advise the relieving controller information regarding an engine run-up, which subsequently resulted in the flight instructor's inadvertent encounter with jet blast during ground taxi.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 30, 2003 · about 5:41 pm local time
- Place
- Lexington, Kentucky · Lexington Bluegrass Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna C172R
- Registration
- N9968F · registry record · serial 17280208
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The ground controller cleared regional jet mechanics to perform a static engine run at the gate, and advised that she would "take the Cessna up to a different intersection." She also cautioned another crew about the run-up; however, she did not mention the runup in her position relief briefing. The pilot of the accident airplane subsequently requested clearance to taxi, and the new ground controller granted the clearance without providing information about the regional jet's engine run-up. When the accident airplane passed about 300 feet behind the regional jet, it was blown sideways, struck its left wing on the ground, tipped onto its nose, and pivoted 180 degrees. The airplane continued to be buffeted until the mechanics were advised to cease the engine run-up. Federal Aviation Administration Order 7110.65P included a standard operating procedure about transferring position responsibility, which stated, "the specialist being relieved shall be responsible for ensuring that any pertinent status information of which he/she is aware is relayed to the relieving specialist..."
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 601 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 107 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 511 as pilot in command; 181 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 3, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 1 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,488 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 14, 2003; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-LA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LEX Lexington KY
- Destination: LEX Lexington KY
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from LEX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N9968F the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.