Cincinnati Municipal Airport – Lunken Field (Cincinnati Municipal Lunken Airport) is a public

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, east of

Downtown Cincinnati Downtown Cincinnati is one of the 52 List of Cincinnati neighborhoods, neighborhoods of Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the central business district of the city, as well as the economic and symbiotic center of the Cincinnati metropolitan area. Original ...

. It is owned by the city of Cincinnati and serves private aircraft, including the fleets of local corporations. It serves a few commercial flights and is the second-largest airport serving Cincinnati after

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is a public international airport located in Boone County, Kentucky, United States, around the community of Hebron. The airport serves the Cincinnati tri-state area. The airport's code, CVG, i ...

, which is the area’s primary airport. It is known as Lunken Airport or Lunken Field, after Eshelby Lunken. It is bounded by

US Route 50 U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlanti ...

(historic Columbia Parkway and Eastern Avenue) to the west,

US Route 52 U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a major U.S. Highway in the Central United States that extends from the northern to southeastern region of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S. Highways, US 52 primarily follows a north ...

(Kellogg Avenue) and the Ohio River to the south, the Little Miami River (which originally flowed through the airfield but was diverted) to the east, and Ohio Route 125 (Beechmont Avenue) to the north. The airport is headquarters and hub for Cincinnati-based public charter airline Ultimate Air Shuttle, serving 5 destinations in the eastern United States with 16 peak daily flights. Lunken is also home to small charter airline Flamingo Air and its aviation school.

History

Lunken Airport foto by andy hemmer cincinnati

Cincinnati Municipal Airport (Lunken Airport) was Cincinnati's main airport until 1947. It is in the

Little Miami River The Little Miami River () is a Class I tributary of the Ohio River that flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 26, 2011 through five counties in southwestern Ohio ...

valley near Columbia, the site of the first Cincinnati-area settlement in 1788. John Dixon “Dixie” Davis began giving flying lessons at the field in 1921 and the field was originally named the Dixie Davis Flying Field. The airfield had become the largest municipal airfield in the world by 1925 when the airport was named for Eshelby Lunken, whose father, Edmund H. Lunken, ran the Lunkenheimer Valve Company. (The family's last name had been shortened from its original "Lunkenheimer" spelling.) The first aviation related activities in the area were flying lessons offered by John "Dixie" Dixon Davis around 1921. The flights took place just north of the airport, roughly where the Lunken Playfield is today. On December 17, 1925, the Embry-Riddle Company was formed at Lunken Airport by T. Higbee Embry and

John Paul Riddle John Paul Riddle (May 19, 1901 – April 6, 1989) was an American pilot and aviation pioneer, best known for training Allied air crews in WW2 and co-founding what later became Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU). He also founded an airlin ...

. A few years later the company moved to Florida, and later became the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. In 1928, the T. E. Halpin Development Co, later the

Metal Aircraft Corporation Metal Aircraft Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer of transport aircraft. The company was a pioneer in all-metal construction at a time when the technology was in its infancy. History In October 1927, Thomas E. Halpin, the forme ...

, produced 22 of the high-wing

Flamingo Flamingos or flamingoes () are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbe ...

at the airport. Also in 1928, Aeronca Aircraft Corporation was formed to build cheap light aircraft; the factory building, hangar 4, is still in use. Over 500 C-2 and C-3 aircraft were built here. Airline flights began in the late 1920s; in 1938,

American Airlines American Airlines, Inc. is a major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the ...

and Marquette Airlines were using the new $172,000 terminal building. During World War II, the airport served first as the headquarters of the I Concentration Command, before being transferred to the

Air Transport Command Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces. It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies a ...

. Lunken Airport was supplanted by the

after flooding from the

Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

and introduction of larger aircraft that needed longer runways. The flooding prompted the airport's nickname of "Sunken Lunken". During the

Ohio River flood of 1937 The Ohio River flood of 1937 took place in late January and February 1937. With damage stretching from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Cairo, Illinois, 385 people died, one million people were left homeless and property losses reached $500 million ...

, the airfield and two-story main terminal building at the southwest corner of the airport were submerged, except for the third-floor air traffic control "tower". A plaque (which appears from ground level to be a single black brick) on the terminal building, facing the airfield, indicates the high-water mark. The airport flooded again in 1945 and 1948. However, the latter was not before the soon-to-be U.S. Air Force vacated the field in 1947. As early as 1948 and continuing to at least 1966, the Greater Cincinnati Airmen's Club held an annual cross country air race at the airport. In the early 1960s Conrad International Corporation, which upgraded Beechcraft 18s, was located at the airport. In 1962, Wilmer Avenue, the western border of the airport, was moved westward. In 1964 the FAA designated the airport as a general reliever airport. As business jet travel expanded, the 6,100-foot parallel runway 2R was added about 1965 (requiring relocation of the Little Miami River). In 1967, its name was officially changed from "Lunken Field" to "Lunken Airport". The Ohio Aerospace Expo was held at the airport in 1978. The airport manager was fired in 2004, following an attempt to solicit commercial flights from the airport. Today the old control tower is home to the Lunken Cadet Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, and is the oldest standing control tower in the United States. The property also contains public recreation areas, including an 18-hole golf course, playgrounds, and walking/biking paths on the levee surrounding the airfield. In 2009 Ultimate Air Shuttle began operations at Lunken with a flight to Chicago–Midway, and has since expanded to four cities, including Chicago, New York, Charlotte, and Cleveland. Currently, many Cincinnati-area companies base their aircraft at the airport due to its proximity to downtown Cincinnati, but most airlines use

. Various proposals have taken place to add air service to the airport, including by

Allegiant Air Allegiant Air is an American ultra low-cost carrier, ultra-low cost airline headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. The airline focuses on serving leisure traffic from small and medium-sized cities which it considers to be underserved, using an ult ...

, which started operations at CVG instead, and Flamingo Air, which did not happen. A proposal to demolish 45 to 60 t-hangars and replace them with a corporate hangar was called off in 2018 after opposition from local pilots and the

AOPA The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is a Frederick, Maryland-based American non-profit political organization that advocates for general aviation. AOPA's membership consists mainly of general aviation pilots in the United States ...

. The same year, a fixed-base operator called Waypoint Aviation began operations out of a new hangar at the airport. In 2021, the

Mutual UFO Network The Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) is a US-based non-profit organization composed of civilian volunteers who study reported UFO sightings. It is one of the oldest and largest organizations of its kind, claiming more than 4,000 members worldwide ...

announced that it was moving to the airport from California. A report released in 2024 noted that Lunken was operating at half capacity and suggested that the city should lease it to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Concurrently, the new airport manager moved forward with plans for a new customs office, the closure of runway 3L/21R and the removal of an old hangar.

Notable visitors

From 1971 to 1979,

Neil Armstrong Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aerospace engineering, aeronautical engineer who, in 1969, became the Apollo 11#Lunar surface operations, first person to walk on the Moon. He was al ...

was an Aerospace Engineering professor at the

University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati, informally Cincy) is a public university, public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1819 and had an enrollment of over 53,000 students in 2024, making it the ...

. He would take students to Lunken Airport to teach them about aviation. In 1927,

Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, and author. On May 20–21, 1927, he made the first nonstop flight from New York (state), New York to Paris, a distance of . His aircra ...

landed at Lunken and was mobbed by well-wishers. In 1964 a large crowd of fans greeted

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

as they flew into and out of Lunken for their concert at

Cincinnati Gardens Cincinnati Gardens was an indoor arena located in Cincinnati, Ohio, that opened in 1949. The 25,000 square foot (2,300 m2) brick and limestone building at 2250 Seymour Avenue in Bond Hill had an entrance that was decorated with six three-dimensio ...

. Several U.S. presidents and other dignitaries have arrived at Lunken. On October 30, 2007,

Air Force One Air Force One is the official air traffic control-designated Aviation call signs, call sign for a United States Air Force aircraft carrying the president of the United States. The term is commonly used to denote U.S. Air Force aircraft modifie ...

landed at Lunken as

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

visited the abutting Cincinnati neighborhood of Hyde Park for a fundraiser for Republican

Congressman A member of congress (MOC), also known as a congressman or congresswoman, is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The t ...

Steve Chabot Steven Joseph Chabot ( ; born January 22, 1953) is an American politician and lawyer who represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2009 and again from 2011 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party (United States), R ...

. On October 22, 2008, Republican Presidential candidate

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

and vice-presidential candidate

Governor of Alaska A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...

Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, and author who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 Republican vice presidential nomi ...

spoke to a crowd of 12,000 in hangar A-10.

Gretchen Wilson Gretchen Frances Wilson (born June 26, 1973, in Pocahontas, Illinois) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She made her debut in March 2004 with the Grammy Awards, Grammy Award-winning single "Redneck Woman", a number-one hit on th ...

performed to start the rally.

Cindy McCain Cindy Lou McCain (; born May 20, 1954) is an American diplomat, businesswoman, and humanitarian who is the executive director of the World Food Programme. McCain previously served as List of ambassadors of the United States to the United Nation ...

and

Todd Palin Todd Mitchell Palin (born September 6, 1964) is an American businessman who was the first gentleman of Alaska from 2006 to 2009. He is the former husband of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee w ...

were also in attendance. Introducing them was former Republican Congressman (later US Senator)

Rob Portman Robert Jones Portman (born December 19, 1955) is an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator from Ohio from 2011 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party, Portman was the 35th director of the Office of Management ...

. In 2011, the airport served as a backdrop for scenes in the film '' The Ides of March''. A

Learjet Learjet was a manufacturer of business jets for civilian and military use based in Wichita, Kansas, United States. Founded in the late 1950s by William Powell Lear as Swiss American Aviation Corporation, it became a subsidiary of Canadian Bomba ...

carrying

Jim Obergefell James Obergefell ( ; born July 7, 1966) is an American civil rights activist who was the lead plaintiff in the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court case ''Obergefell v. Hodges'', which legalized same-sex marriage in the United States. Obergefell had sued the ...

and John Arthur took off from the airport on 11 July 2013. As same-sex marriage was not legal in Ohio, it landed in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

, where the two were wed in the jet, before returning the same day. On February 5, 2018, a

Boeing C-32 The Boeing C-32 is the United States Air Force designation for variants of the Boeing 757 in military service. Two variants exist, filling different parts of the military passenger transport role. The C-32A serves the Special Air Mission, prov ...

flying as

landed at Lunken bringing

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

for an address to the employees of Sheffer Corporation in nearby

Blue Ash ''Fraxinus quadrangulata'', the blue ash, is a species of ash native primarily to the Midwestern United States from Oklahoma to Michigan, as well as the Bluegrass region of Kentucky and the Nashville Basin region of Tennessee. Isolated populati ...

Sky Galley Restaurant

The Sky Galley restaurant was in nearly continuous operation for decades, and is so named because the first meals served on a commercial airliner (

) were prepared here. The Sky Galley is housed in the terminal building and has large windows and a patio dining area facing the airfield, allowing views of small aircraft and corporate jets taking off and landing. Formerly known as the Wings Restaurant, it was reopened in 1999 as the Sky Galley. In 2019, the lease agreement for the restaurant was nearly cancelled by the city due to potential food safety risks reported by the Health Department. After an online petition on change.org gained over 17,000 signatures, an agreement was reached in which the city would provide up to $100,000 to help renovate the restaurant and grant it another 5-year lease if the owner committed to correcting the violations. However, due to the effects of

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

, the Sky Galley was forced to close in September 2020. A proposal to replace it with a new restaurant and hotel was made in March 2021. In December, the Cincinnati city council approved a multi-decade lease for the building to the developer vR Group. After a delay of a few years, the renovation of the terminal was announced to begin in summer 2025.

Facilities

Cincinnati Municipal Airport – Lunken Field covers and had three

runway In aviation, a runway is an elongated, rectangular surface designed for the landing and takeoff of an aircraft. Runways may be a human-made surface (often asphalt concrete, asphalt, concrete, or a mixture of both) or a natural surface (sod, ...

s until July 1, 2024 when 3L/21R was permanently closed and decommissioned : * 3L/21R (now closed): 3,801 x 100 ft (1,159 x 30 m), surface: asphalt * 3R/21L: 6,101 x 150 ft (1,860 x 46 m), surface: asphalt * 7/25: 5,127 x 100 ft (1,563 x 30 m), surface: asphalt Thirty-eight T-hangars were built on the airport in 2001. A hangar for

Procter & Gamble The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/con ...

is located on the north side of the airport. The terminal building has two floors and is home to one of the oldest air traffic control towers in the United States. A small pilot supply shop called The Flight Depot is located on the first floor and the Cincinnati Aviation Heritage Society & Museum is on the second.

Public charter and destinations

Passenger

NetJets NetJets Inc. is an American company that sells Fractional ownership of aircraft, fractional ownership shares in private business jets. Founded as Executive Jet Airways in 1964, it was later renamed Executive Jet Aviation. NetJets became the ...

also has a facility in Cincinnati.

Statistics

Cincinnati Municipal Lunken Airport - OpenStreetMap - 01

For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2022, the airport had 114,630 aircraft operations, an average of 314 per day: 89%

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...

, 11%

air taxi An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand. History The concept of air taxis existed as early as the 1910s. This concept goes back as early as 1917 with Glenn Curtiss’ prototype, the auto-plane. Furthermor ...

, <1%

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

and <1% scheduled

commercial Commercial may refer to: * (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services ** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money * a dose of advertising ...

. In the year ending December 31, 2022, 150 aircraft were based at this airport: 76 single-engine, 55 jet, 12 multi-engine, 3

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...

, and 4 gliders.

Top destinations (October 2016 – September 2017)

Total passengers

Accidents and incidents

* On 28 February 1928, a Douglas O-2C crashed while taking off from the airport. * On 8 August 1928, a

Waco Waco ( ) is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a U.S. census estimated 2024 population of 146,608, making i ...

biplane crashed after taking off from the airport, killing the pilot and passenger. * On 19 October 1929, a

Consolidated PT-1 Trusty The Consolidated PT-1 Trusty (company designation Model 1) is a biplane primary trainer used by the United States Army Air Service (USAAS) in the 1920s. Design and development In 1921, Colonel Virginius Clark, chief designer of the Dayton-Wr ...

crashed near Miamiville, Ohio after taking off from the airport, injuring the two crew. * On 9 August 1931, a

Ford Trimotor The Ford Trimotor (also called the "Tri-Motor", and nicknamed the "Tin Goose") is an American Trimotor, three-engined transport plane, transport aircraft. Production started in 1925 by the companies of Henry Ford and ended on June 7, 1933, afte ...

crashed after taking off from the airport, killing the two crew and four passengers. * On 30 May 1932, a glider crashed at Dixie Davis Flying Field, killing the pilot. * On 23 February 1934, a Boeing P-12D crashed while landing at the airport. It was delivering airmail. * On 22 November 1936, a

North American BT-9 The North American BT-9 was the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) designation for a low-wing single engine monoplane primary trainer aircraft that served before and during World War II. It was a contemporary of the Boeing-Stearman PT-13 K ...

crashed after taking off from the airport, killing the two pilots. * On 5 September 1938, an unknown airplane overturned after landing, injuring the two pilots. * On 10 March 1941, American Airlines Flight 20, a

Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper ...

crashed into a dike while landing at the airport, injuring two crew and three passengers. * On 9 August 1942, a Culver Cadet crashed in

Covington, Kentucky Covington is a list of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Ohio River, Ohio and Licking River (Kentucky), Licking rivers, across from Cincinnati to the north ...

after taking off from the airport, killing the pilot and a passenger. * On 12 August 1942, an unknown light plane crashed while attempting to land at the airport, injuring the pilot. * On 13 August 1942, a North American AT-6 Texan made an emergency landing near

Newtown, Ohio Newtown is a village in southeastern Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, near Cincinnati. The population was 2,702 at the 2020 census. Newtown was settled in 1792 and incorporated as a village in 1901. History Multiple Native American mounds ...

, after taking off from the airport. * On 9 January 1943, a Boeing PT-17 Kaydet made an emergency landing near Anderson Ferry after taking off from the airport. * On 25 August 1943, an unknown Navy monoplane made an emergency landing near the airport. * On 4 November 1943, a

North American P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed by James H. Kin ...

crashed in Forestville, Ohio, after taking off from the airport, killing the pilot. * On 22 March 1944, an Aeronca Chief with the

Civil Air Patrol Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a Congressional charter, congressionally chartered, federally supported Nonprofit corporation, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliaries, auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CA ...

made an emergency landing near Newtown, Ohio after taking off from the airport. * On 30 June 1944, a

Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II. During the war the C-47 was used for tro ...

made an emergency landing near Newtown, Ohio after taking off from the airport. * On 9 October 1944, a Lockheed A-29 was destroyed in an emergency landing at the airport. * On 26 December 1944, a

North American B-25 Mitchell The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allies of World War ...

crashed while taking off from the airport, killing three and injuring six. * On 10 January 1945, a

Curtiss SB2C Helldiver The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a dive bomber developed by Curtiss-Wright during World War II. As a carrier-based bomber with the United States Navy (USN), in Pacific theaters, it supplemented and replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless. A few su ...

crashed near

Newport, Kentucky Newport is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States. It is at the confluence of the Ohio River, Ohio and Licking River (Kentucky), Licking rivers across from Cincinnati. The population was 14,150 ...

after taking off from the airport, killing the passenger. * On 11 June 1945, an unknown airplane crashed in

Fort Thomas, Kentucky Fort Thomas is a home rule-class city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, on the southern bank of the Ohio River and the site of an 1890 US Army post. The population was 17,483 at the 2020 census, making it the largest city in Campbe ...

after taking off from the airport, injuring the pilot and three passengers. * On 12 August 1945, an unknown airplane, owned by a flying club at the airport, made an emergency landing at the nearby River Downs Racetrack. * On 5 January 1947, a Grumman F7F-3N Tigercat was substantially damaged in a forced landing at the airport due to bad weather. * On 16 May 1947, a

Republic Seabee A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a state in which political power rests with the public (people), typically through their representatives—in contrast to a monarchy. Although a ...

crashed in Mount Washington, Ohio, while trying to land at the airport after running out of fuel. * On 4 August 1947, a trainer plane crashed in

Clermont County, Ohio Clermont County, popularly called Clermont ( ), is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 208,601. Ordinanced in 1800 as part of the Virginia Military District, Clermont is Ohio's eighth oldest county, t ...

, after taking off from the airport, killing the pilot. * On 12 September 1947, an unknown two-seat aircraft crashed in Fort Thomas, Kentucky after taking off from the airport, injuring a pilot and passenger. * On 24 October 1957, a two-seat

Bell A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be m ...

helicopter operated by Ohio Valley Airways crashed at the airport, killing the pilot. * On 19 February 1960, a

Lockheed PV-1 Ventura The Lockheed Ventura is a twin-engine medium bomber and patrol bomber of World War II. The Ventura first entered combat in Europe as a bomber with the RAF in late 1942. Designated PV-1 by the United States Navy (US Navy), it entered combat in ...

belonging to Champion Paper and Fibre Company crashed in

Madeira, Ohio Madeira is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 9,487 at the 2020 census. A residential suburb of Cincinnati, Madeira has a small downtown and some light industry. History Madeira was largely laid out in 1871. Befo ...

, after taking off from the airport, killing all three on board. * On 30 September 1960, a single-engine plane crashed near Newtown, Ohio, after taking off from the airport. * On 20 February 1963, a North American B-25 Mitchell made an emergency landing at the airport after an engine failure. * On 18 May 1966, a

Beechcraft Bonanza The Beechcraft Bonanza is an American general aviation aircraft introduced in 1947 by Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. The six-seater, single-engined aircraft is still produced by Beechcraft and has been in continuous productio ...

crashed and burned after colliding with trees while landing at the airport, injuring the pilot. * On 30 March 1968, a Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer crashed on final approach to the airport when the left wing struck the ground, killing the pilot. * On 27 July 1973, a

Beechcraft Travel Air The Beechcraft Travel Air is a twin-engine development of the Beechcraft Bonanza. It was designed to fill the gap between the single engine Beechcraft Bonanza, Model 35 Bonanza and the much larger Beechcraft Twin Bonanza, Model 50 Twin Bonanz ...

crashed after taking off from the airport, killing one passenger and injuring the pilot and two other passengers. * On 25 October 1973, a

Beechcraft Queen Air The Beechcraft Queen Air is a twin-engined light aircraft produced by Beechcraft in numerous versions from 1960 to 1978. Based upon the Twin Bonanza, with which it shared key components such as wings, engines, and tail surfaces, it had a larg ...

crashed into the

after taking off from the airport, killing the pilot and a passenger and injuring an additional passenger. * On 29 September 1979, a

Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe The Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe is an American twin-engine heavy-lift helicopter designed by Sikorsky Aircraft for the United States Army. It is named after Tarhe, an 18th-century chief of the Wyandot Indian tribe whose nickname was "The Crane". The ...

crashed in

Loveland, Ohio Loveland is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, Hamilton, Clermont County, Ohio, Clermont, and Warren County, Ohio, Warren counties in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 13,307 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

, after taking off from the airport, killing the four crew. * On 16 July 1980, a Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee crashed after taking off from the airport, injuring the four occupants. * On 7 April 1981, a

Learjet 23 The Learjet 23 (originally Lear Jet 23) is an American six-to-eight-seat (two crew and four to six passengers) twinjet, high-speed business jet manufactured by Learjet. Introduced in 1964, it was Learjet's first model and created a new market ...

was damaged by a bird strike after taking off from the airport and forced to return for an emergency landing. The copilot was killed and the pilot seriously injured. * On 16 December 1982, a Cessna 411 crashed into a bookstore in

Montgomery, Ohio Montgomery is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. It is an eastern suburb of Cincinnati. The population was 10,853 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Settled in 1795, Montgomery is one of t ...

, on approach to land at the airport, killing the six people on board and injuring four more on the ground. One of those killed was Carl Johnson, who had embezzled $614,000 and was planning to lead authorities to the location of a buried portion of the money. * On 4 September 1983, an

American Champion Citabria The Citabria is a light single-engine, two-seat, fixed conventional gear airplane which entered production in the United States in 1964. Designed for flight training, utility aircraft, utility and personal use, it is capable of sustaining aero ...

made a forced landing in the Ohio River while attempting to land at the airport. It had been towing a banner over

Riverfront Stadium Riverfront Stadium, also known as Cinergy Field from 1996 to 2002, was a multi-purpose stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home of the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1970 Cincinnati Reds season, 1970 through 2002 Cincinna ...

that it had picked up at the airport when it suffered an engine failure. * On 20 June 1984, a Cessna 340A crashed after taking off from the airport, killing the pilot and three passengers. * On 25 November 1986, a

Bell 206 JetRanger The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- and twin-engined helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec, plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter pro ...

news helicopter belonging to

WKRC (AM) WKRC (550 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Cincinnati, Ohio. The station airs a talk radio format, under the branding "55KRC". The station's offices and studios are on Montgomery Road off Interstate 71 in Cincinnati. WKRC ...

crashed after taking off from a heliport just north of the airport, killing the pilot and passenger. * On 26 January 1994, a

Beechcraft Baron The Beechcraft Baron is a light twin-engined piston aircraft designed and produced by Beechcraft. The aircraft was introduced in 1961. A low-wing monoplane developed from the Travel Air, it remains in production. Design and development The ...

crashed in Newtown, Ohio, after taking off from the airport, killing the pilot. * On 1 November 1995, an unknown twin engine plane made an emergency landing at the airport after striking a deer on takeoff. * On 30 May 2006, a Cessna 210N crashed in Fort Thomas, Kentucky while attempting to land at the airport, killing the pilot. * On 14 July 2009, a Piper Cherokee crashed near the airport while trying to land, seriously injuring the pilot. * On 22 Saturday 2012, a Cessna 182Q crashed in Fort Thomas, Kentucky while attempting to land at the airport following a loss of engine power, injuring the pilot and a passenger. * On 12 March 2019, a

Piper Navajo The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of twin-engined low-wing tricycle gear utility aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for small cargo and feeder airlines, and as a corporate aircraft. Production ran from 1967 to 1984. It was licen ...

crashed into a home in Madeira, Ohio while on approach to Lunken, killing the pilot. The aircraft, registered N400JM, was flying for an aerial photography and mapping company. * On 9 January 2022, an unknown airplane made an emergency landing at the airport after suffering an engine failure. * On 17 March 2023, a Piaggio P.180 Avanti suffered a landing gear collapse after landing at the airport. * On 1 September 2023, a Piper PA-32-300 Cherokee Six operated by Flamingo Air crashed in Anderson Township after taking off from the airport. Three passengers were uninjured and the pilot suffered a minor injury.

References

Footnotes

Notes

Bibliography

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External links

Official siteCorporate Author: The Embry-Riddle Company – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
* {{Authority control Airports established in 1925 1925 establishments in Ohio Airports in Ohio Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Ohio Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces Air Transport Command in North America Transportation buildings and structures in Cincinnati Transportation in Hamilton County, Ohio Buildings and structures in Hamilton County, Ohio