Ohio State University Airport

Not to be confused with Ohio University Airport.

Ohio State University Airport
IATA: OSU ICAO: KOSU FAA LID: OSU
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner/Operator	Ohio State University
Location	Columbus, Ohio
Opened	1943
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (-5)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (-4)
Elevation AMSL	905 ft / 276 m
Website	www.osuairport.org//
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 9R/27L 5,004 1,525 Asphalt/Grooved 9L/27R 2,994 913 Asphalt 5/23 3,562 1,084 Asphalt
Helipads
Number Length Surface ft m H1 40 12 Asphalt
Statistics (2021)
Aircraft operations 77,745 Based aircraft 143
Sources: FAA, airport website

Ohio State University Airport (IATA: OSU, ICAO: KOSU, FAA LID: OSU) is a public airport six miles (10 km) northwest of downtown Columbus, in Franklin County, Ohio, United States. It is owned and operated by Ohio State University in Columbus. It is also known as the OSU Don Scott Airport, named after Donald E. Scott, an OSU alumnus who died during his training as a pilot in the United Kingdom during World War II. The airport's main entrance is located on Case Road, and is easily accessible from OH-315 and Interstate 270.

The Ohio State University Airport serves the university while offering general aviation services for the public. It is one of 30 airports owned by universities across the country, but it is one of only three owned by a Tier One research institution. The airport is largely exempt from paying property taxes.

History

The Ohio State University opened its first airport in 1917 to train cadets to build and fly aircraft for World War 1. That airport was shut down in 1920 when Ohio Stadium was built on the site.

The university built a second airport soon after its first shut down, and it was among a number of universities that took part in the Civilian Pilot Training Program, sponsored by the Civil Aeronautics Administration, for the purpose of fostering private flying.

The current OSU Airport began in 1943 as a flight training facility for military and civilian pilots, operated by the OSU School of Aviation. The airport was used as a research location for crop dusting aircraft in the 1940s. A Piper J-3 Cub was used for testing until it crashed in 1957 and the project was halted.

It became a public-use airport in 1959 upon receipt of federal funding for runway improvements. The first jets were based at the airport in 1962.

The university started a partnership with the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) in the 1960s. The Association's Safety in Flight Evaluation Conference has been held at The Ohio State University Airport ten times. The Ohio State University Airport has been home to NIFA's headquarters since 2015.

In the 1970s, the University used Douglas DC-3s at the airport to transport university sports teams, faculty, and administration to and from Columbus.

Discussions to sell the airport have been on and off since 1986.

The OSU Airport is now a self-supporting entity of the Ohio State University through the Department of Aerospace Engineering & Aviation.

The Department oversees all aspects of the Airport from Airport Management, to Fixed-Base Operations, to Airport Maintenance.

The Airport is also home to the OSU Department of Aerospace Engineering & Aviation Gas Turbine Laboratory, several facilities operated by the OSU College of Agriculture, the Ohio Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation, fourteen corporate flight departments, and four flying clubs. Per a partnership with NetJets, whose headquarters are in Columbus, the University's department of aviation also founded the Ohio State University Center for Aviation Studies, which provides funding for research projects and student scholarships and fellowships as well as conducting economic and public policy studies in technical projects.

The OSU Airport is a Part 139 Certificated Airport, serving as a general aviation reliever for the nearby John Glenn Columbus International Airport. It is the base for the Ohio State Highway Patrol's Aviation Section and the Ohio Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation.

Historical airline service

In August 1975, the US Civil Aeronautics Board, the now-defunct Federal agency that, at the time, regulated almost all airline service, approved Wright Air Lines to fly from Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport to Columbus via Don Scott Airport. At the time, Wright flew 44-passenger piston-powered Convair 440 aircraft. The new service was not well received by Ohio State or the airport's neighbors and they were able to force Wright out, the service lasting only from September 29 to December 15. Wright moved to Port Columbus International Airport – today’s John Glenn International Airport.

Facilities and aircraft

Facilities

The airport has three runways. Runway 9R/27L is the airport's main runway. It measures 5,004 x 100 ft (1525 x 30 m) and is paved with asphalt. Runway 9L/27R runs parallel to it; it measures 2994 x 100 ft (913 x 30 m) and is paved with asphalt. The third runway, designated as runway 5/23, measures 3562 x 100 ft (1086 x 30 m) and is also paved with asphalt.

The airport also has a helipad for helicopter operations. Designated as helipad H1, it measures 40 x 40 ft (12 x 12 m) and is paved with asphalt.

In 2020, the airport's main runway received rehabilitations to continue offering safe operations. The airport's master plan includes a plan to expand runway 9R/27L to 6,000 feet to help corporate aviation departments fly further non-stop from the airport.

The airport has a fixed-base operator that offers both avgas and Jet A fuel as well as amenities such as general maintenance, catering, a crew lounge, snooze rooms, showers, a courtesy car, and more. The FBO unveiled a new $15 million terminal building in 2018, which received funding in large part from a $10 million donation. It also added dozens of new hangars to house more airplanes, and it is developing a 50-acre corporate airpark.

Aircraft

Based on the 12-month period ending December 31, 2021, the airport has 77,745 annual aircraft operations, an average of 213 per day. This includes 79% general aviation, 21% air taxi, and <1% military. The airport generally ranks in the top five airports in Ohio in terms of the number of take-offs and landings, along with Cleveland Hopkins, John Glenn Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati Lunken. For the same time period, there were 143 aircraft based at the airport: 118 single-engine and 10 multi-engine airplanes as well as 11 jets and 4 helicopters.

Accidents and incidents

• In 1967, the crew of a TWA Boeing 707 mistook the Ohio State University Airport for Port Columbus International Airport (now known as John Glenn Columbus International Airport). After shuttling all passengers and baggage to Port Columbus, and removing all galley equipment and seats, the plane was light enough to depart for the larger airport across town.
• On May 30, 2002, a Bell 206 helicopter was substantially damaged during a practice autorotation on touchdown at the Ohio State University Airport. During the accident autorotation, the pilot receiving instruction did not think he would make his intended touchdown point and wanted to increase airspeed, but the instructor told him to slow the helicopter to 50 knots. As the pilot attempted this, the aircraft slowed further to 40 knots. The pilot lowered the nose again to regain airspeed, but as it did, the pilot realized he would overshoot, so the pilot initiated s-turns to slow down. As the pilot flared for landing, rotor RPM decayed, and the helicopter touched down hard, and the pilot instinctively applied aft cyclic, which the instructor was unable to prevent. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the flight instructor's delay in applying remedial action.
• On February 28, 2003, a Cessna 152 was substantially damaged during landing at the Ohio State University Airport. The pilots had been performing touch-and-gos on an instructional flight at the airport. On the accident approach, the CFI observed the airplane descend below the glidepath and instructed the student pilot to add power. After a few seconds, the student added about 50 rpms of power, and the CFI told the student to add more power. When the student didn't respond, the CFI attempted to add power himself; however, the student's hand remained over the throttle, so the instructor was unable to add power. The CFI then started to flare the airplane for landing. The aircraft touched down before the start of the paved runway surface and pitched forward onto its nose, at which point the nose gear collapsed. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the student pilot's misjudgment of distance/altitude and the instructor's delayed remedial action.
• On April 29, 2004, a Cessna 152 was substantially damaged during landing at the Ohio State University Airport. Just over the runway, the aircraft encountered a gust, and the student pilot aboard pushed the nose down to maintain attitude. However, the student overcompensated, and the aircraft's nose wheel impacted the runway. The plane bounced, the nose impacted the runway a second time, and the airplane finally tilted forward and slid to a stop. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the student pilot's improper flare, and inadequate recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a hard landing.
• On July 1, 2005, a Piper PA-28 Cherokee was substantially damaged during a landing at Ohio State University Airport. As the private pilot, back from a 5 year absence from flying, turned to a left downwind, she advised the flight instructor aboard that he needed to land the airplane because she wasn't sure of "the perspective," and the flight instructor took over the flight controls. After touchdown, it appeared to the private pilot that the airplane was diverging to the right. The aircraft then hit something and bounced before veering to left back onto runway centerline. The instructor stated that, during the flight, he had set maximum right rudder trim to keep the plane from turning left repeatedly. On approach, the aircraft started turning right instead of left, so the instructor eased off his additional right rudder pressure. During the roundout to land, the instructor said that "for whatever reason, the aircraft turned to the right suddenly and unexpected." To keep the airplane over the runway, the flight instructor turned the controls to the left and applied full left rudder, but he did not notice any immediate response. While attempting to go around, the instructor heard a bang as if the aircraft had hit something, and the impact forced the plane back toward centerline. The instructor aborted the go-around since he had sufficient runway ahead to stop the plane. After landing, and while taxiing to the ramp, the flight instructor pressed the right and left rudder pedals several times, and noted that although they worked, the right rudder pedal was much stiffer than the left. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the flight instructor's failure to maintain directional control during the landing rollout. A factor was the night lighting conditions.
• On September 22, 2005, a Eurocopter Deutschland BK-117-B2 helicopter was substantially damaged during a hard landing at Ohio State University Airport. During landing, the pilot observed a kneeboard fall from the co-pilot's side of the helicopter and land near the cyclic control boot. He tried to straighten the helicopter; however, the cyclic control felt "stiff" and could only be moved slightly to the left or aft. The helicopter continued to descend, and landed hard. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
• On March 11, 2007, a Cessna 172 Skyhawk was damaged during a runway excursion at the Ohio State University Airport. The pilot reported that after touchdown, he noticed "the rate of left drift was too much." The pilot subsequently applied both brakes and right rudder, but the aircraft continued drifting to the left of the runway. The aircraft then ran into a grass area off the runway's side, struck a sign, and came to rest. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing.
• On October 9, 2007, a Eurocopter AS 350 B2 Ecureuil helicopter, operated by the State of Ohio on a public-use training flight, sustained substantial damage during an autorotation at the Ohio State University Airport. The instructor aboard reported that he flew with three students that day. During the first flight of the day, a hard landing occurred while practicing an autorotation. No damage was found after that or the next flight. During autorotation practice on the third lesson, the aircraft impacted the ground at a higher rate of descent than desired because the instructor could not make power inputs quickly enough to arrest a high descent rate. Though the impact was minimal, the aircraft slide for approximately 40 feet in uneven terrain. The instructor briefed the maneuver again, and the flight continued with more autorotations before the pilots returned to the ramp. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the student pilot's excessive descent rate and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.
• On May 21, 2008, a Columbia Aircraft LC41-550FG crashed while landing at the Ohio State University Airport. Just after touchdown, the airplane veered about 20 degrees left. The pilot attempted to correct with right rudder but subsequently determined that a more aggressive correction would be unsafe. The aircraft exited the runway into a grassy area between the runway and the ramp. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.
• On December 27, 2010, an Aero Commander 500B registered to Central Airways Inc crashed near the airport. The aircraft lost engine power while coming in to land at the airport. During the downwind leg of a circling instrument approach, both engines began to surge, and the pilot added full power and turned on the fuel boost pumps. This momentarily solved the problem. While abeam the approach end of the runway on the downwind leg, the engines again started to surge and subsequently lost power. The pilot executed a forced landing and the airplane impacted terrain short of the runway. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot’s improper fuel management which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
• On November 14, 2016, a Cessna 172 Skyhawk was damaged while landing at the Ohio State University Airport. The student solo pilot reported porpoising and hearing a thump while attempting to land. The pilot executed a go-around and, on his next approach, landed without incident. The probable cause of the incident was found to be the student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a porpoise.
• On February 3, 2020, a Beechcraft Bonanza ran off the runway at the Ohio State University Airport after a landing gear failure.
• On June 14, 2021, a Cessna 180K Skywagon was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near the Ohio State University Airport. The pilot reported that she took off uneventfully and executed a climbing right turn before leveling off at 1,000 ft above ground level. Shortly thereafter, the airplane’s engine sputtered briefly. The pilot contacted air traffic control and initiated a 180° turn toward the airport when the engine lost all power. The pilot attempted to troubleshoot the issue to no avail before the airplane impacted a heavily wooded area short of the open field and descended to the ground below.

See also

• List of airports in Ohio

External links

• Historic photo; Don Scott field in 1954
• Historic photo; Don Scott field in 1983
• FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective July 11, 2024
• Resources for this airport:
  • FAA airport information for OSU
  • AirNav airport information for KOSU
  • ASN accident history for OSU
  • FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
  • NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart, Terminal Procedures