Cincinnati West Airport began in 1939 when Orville and Alvin Jackson plowed an airstrip through a hayfield owned by Woiden Radcliffe.[2] It officially opened in 1947 as Harrison Airport.[3] Runway lights were installed in 1954.[2]
A 1969 proposal called for the privately owned Harrison Airport to be expanded for use as Cincinnati's executive airport, after plans to expand Blue Ash Airport into a reliever for Greater Cincinnati Airport were blocked by local opposition.[4] However, Harrison Airport's proximity to William Henry Harrison High School and Harrison Junior High School complicated any expansion plans.[5] Instead, the runway was reconfigured to avoid the schools.[2]
Morton Rabkin purchased Harrison Airport in 1981. An adjacent property was developed as a residential subdivision, ending his plans to extend the runway to 3,500 feet (1,100 m). In 1986, he renamed the airport to Cincinnati West Airport and sold it to Bob McKenna.[7]
In 1995, the city of Harrison annexed Cincinnati West Airport.[8] That August, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College purchased the airport from McKenna Air Inc. to support its federally approved, two-year aviation maintenance technologies program.[9][10][11] It spent $4.14 million in state funds to purchase and renovate the facilities.[12] In 1998, the school opened a Cincinnati State West satellite campus next door.[13][14]
For the 12-month period ending October 11, 2023, the airport had 28,470 aircraft operations, an average of 78 per day. This was 99% general aviation, less than 1% air taxi, and less than 1% military. For the same time period, 46 aircraft were based at the airport, all airplanes: 42 single-engine and 4 multi-engine. The airport is attended daily, year-round.[1][15]
On August 8, 1981, a fire destroyed a hangar and four planes and seriously damaged two others.[17]
On October 10, 2004, a Cessna 172 and a Cessna 152 practicing landings at the airport collided midair and landed in a gravel pit across the street, injuring two.[18][19]
On August 21, 2009, a Steen Skybolt was destroyed by an in-flight collision with terrain after departure from Cincinnati West Airport. A witness saw the plane flying low to the ground before entering a "very steep climb" of 45-50 degrees. The climb continued to approximately 200 feet above the ground, at which point it entered a left turn until it became inverted with the nose pointed straight down. The plane then entered a spin and impacted terrain. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.[20][21]
