Cessna 172H incident near Tucson, Arizona, February 22, 2009
On February 22, 2009 at about 9:57 pm local time, a Cessna 172H, registered N1408F, suffered minor damage in an incident during taxi near Tucson, Arizona (Tucson International 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 flight instructor’s inadequate situational awareness while taxiing that led to an encounter with jet blast.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 2009 · about 9:57 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · Tucson International Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172H · all 172Hs on the register
- Registration
- N1408F · no longer on the register · serial 17254903
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Following an uneventful landing, the student pilot and flight instructor were cleared to taxi the Cessna 172H to the ramp. While taxiing on a taxiway, parallel to an active runway, the flight instructor and student pilot observed a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 transport category airplane holding short of the runway. As the Cessna 172H neared the MD-80's position, the student pilot applied aileron control inputs for possible jet blast and deviated away from the MD-80, towards the inner ramp area. The flight instructor advised the student pilot to stop the airplane due to the MD-80 being positioned "farther back from the hold short line of 11L than initially thought and the presence of a Boeing 757 parked in the inner ramp area." As the Cessna 172H slowed to a stop, the MD-80 "increased engine thrust" to taxi onto the runway. Subsequently, the MD-80’s jet blast tipped the Cessna 172H over onto its right wing, which resulted in minor damage to the outboard wingtip. The tower controller reported that he began to clear the MD-80 for takeoff as he scanned the active runway to ensure all crossing aircraft were clear. The controller then "looked back” and saw the Cessna 172H taxiing behind the MD-80. The controller stated that he stopped issuing the takeoff clearance, however the MD-80 had already powered up.
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
- Prop/jet/rotor blast/suction during taxi defining event
- Loss of control on ground during taxi
- Roll over during taxi
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusio › Situational awareness › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Wake turbulence › Effect on equipment
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: 1,020 hours in all; 816 in this make and model; 107 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 952 as pilot in command; 604 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 6, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 44 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,759 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 10, 2008; 88 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TUS Tucson AZ at 9:00 pm
- Destination: TUS Tucson AZ
- Flight plan: not recorded
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from TUS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.