Cessna K172R accident near Tremont City, Ohio, July 16, 1994
On July 16, 1994 at about 2:07 pm local time, a Cessna K172R, registered N1124V, was destroyed in an accident near Tremont City, Ohio (Mad River airport). It was a skydiving flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF OPERATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 1994 · about 2:07 pm local time
- Place
- Tremont City, Ohio · Mad River · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna K172R
- Registration
- N1124V · no longer on the register · serial R1722120
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS ASKED BY THE AIRPORT MANAGER TO FLY A PARACHUTE JUMP FLIGHT IN A CESSNA 172. THE MANAGER SUGGESTED THAT THE PILOT MAKE A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF & CLIMB STRAIGHT OUT TO GAIN ALTITUDE. WITNESSES REPORTED THE TAKEOFF AND INITIAL CLIMB APPEARED NORMAL, BUT AT ABOUT 200' AGL, THE AIRPLANE LEVELED OFF, THEN DESCENDED ABOUT 50' AND CONTINUED FORWARD FOR A MOMENT. THE RIGHT WING THEN DROPPED AND THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A STEEP DESCENT. IT CRASHED ON WOODED TERRAIN ALONG THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE OF THE RUNWAY AND BURNED. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE OF THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING POWER. THE PASSENGER DOOR, RIGHT FRONT SEAT, & REAR SEAT HAD BEEN REMOVED FOR PARACHUTE JUMPING (LEAVING ONLY THE PILOT'S SEAT), BUT NO RECORD WAS FOUND OF THE NEW WEIGHT & BALANCE COMPUTATION. THE AIRPLANE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 76 LBS OVER ITS MAXIMUM TAKEOFF WEIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH DUAL CONTROLS. A JUMPER WAS OBSERVED SITTING AT THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT PASSENGER DOOR (LEANING AGAINST THE REAR DOOR FRAME) WITH HIS LEGS 'STRAIGHT OUT IN FRONT OF HIM, HIS FEET CROSSED AND AT THE VERY OUTSIDE EDGE OF THE PLANE.' DUE TO FIRE DAMAGE, USE OF SEAT BELTS WAS NOT VERIFIED. THIS WAS THE PILOT'S FIRST PARACHUTE JUMP FLIGHT AND FIRST FLIGHT WITH THE DOOR REMOVED.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,610 hours in all; 470 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 2,480 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,384 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 15, 1994; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-K (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: I-54 Urbana OH at 2:05 pm
- Destination: I-54 OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 3,400 ft by 120 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from SGH, 11 miles away
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.