On October 17, 2009, a CESSNA 172S was involved in an aviation accident near Honolulu, HI. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's distraction and subsequent loss of airplane control after the cabin window opened during the takeoff roll. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A student pilot on his first solo cross-country flight attempted to close an open cabin window during takeoff roll; the airplane rotated and banked left, colliding with the runway.
Accident Details
The accident occurred during the takeoff roll when the cabin window opened. The student pilot, who was conducting his first solo cross-country flight, reached over to close the window. A few seconds later, the airplane rotated and banked to the left. The pilot attempted to regain control, but the aircraft collided with the runway surface. The collision resulted in substantial damage to the firewall and both wings.
Pilot Information
The student pilot reported a total flight time of 55 hours, of which 1 hour was as pilot-in-command.
Weather Conditions
At the time of the accident, there were right gusting crosswinds present.
Contributing factors
Causes
PilotPerformance/control parameters — Not attained/maintained
Other contributing factors
Effect on equipmentUnintentional use/operation
Related events
Same aircraft family
24 Sep 2026 — CESSNA 172B
23 Sep 2026 — CESSNA 172
18 Sep 2026 — CESSNA 172
16 Sep 2026 — CESSNA 172M (CK Aviation LLC)
9 Sep 2026 — CESSNA 172
8 Sep 2026 — CESSNA 172N
7 Sep 2026 — CESSNA 172N (Tin Cup Investments INC)
24 Aug 2026 — CESSNA 172M
21 Aug 2026 — CESSNA 172P (Vascular Wings LLC)
18 Aug 2026 — CESSNA 172L (Ocala Aviation Services INC)
16 Aug 2026 — CESSNA 172L (Foothill Aircraft Sales and Service Inc.)
9 Aug 2026 — CESSNA 172N (Kimber 123 Holdings LLC)
What happened in the 17 Oct 2009 CESSNA 172S accident near Honolulu, HI?
A student pilot on his first solo cross-country flight attempted to close an open cabin window during takeoff roll; the airplane rotated and banked left, colliding with the runway.
Were there any fatalities in the 17 Oct 2009 CESSNA 172S accident?
No fatalities were recorded in this accident.
What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?
The accident on 17 Oct 2009 involved a CESSNA 172S, at Honolulu, HI.
What was the probable cause of the accident?
The student pilot's distraction and subsequent loss of airplane control after the cabin window opened during the takeoff roll.
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