Cessna 172 accident near Mt. Gilead, Ohio, October 2, 1993
On October 2, 1993 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N736RZ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mt. Gilead, Ohio (Morrow County 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 pilot's improper inflight decision to conduct a night landing at an airport without runway lights, and the subsequent misalignment with the runway and collision with an object.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 2, 1993 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Mt. Gilead, Ohio · Morrow County · 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
- N736RZ · registry record · serial 1722741
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT COULD NOT ACTIVATE THE RUNWAY LIGHTS DURING A NIGHT LANDING. HE MADE TWO PASSES OVER THE RUNWAY TO SEE IF THE RUNWAY WAS CLEAR. HE THEN ELECTED TO LAND ON THE RUNWAY WITHOUT THE RUNWAY LIGHTS AVAILABLE. HE HAD COMPLETED THE LANDING AND DURING THE ROLL OUT THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER STRUCK THE VASI LIGHT.
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: 553 hours in all; 91 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 490 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,770 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 1993; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0A9 Elizabethtown TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 3,497 ft by 65 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.