Cessna 152 accident near Center Village, Ohio, April 12, 1988
On April 12, 1988 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N5089P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Center Village, Ohio (August Acres 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 1988 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Center Village, Ohio · August Acres · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N5089P · registry record · serial 15284873
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CFI ATTEMPTED TO DEMONSTRATE A SHORT-FIELD TAKEOFF TO HIS STUDENT, WITH A TAILWIND. HE REPORTED BELIEVING AT THE TIME THAT A LIGHT CROSS-WIND/QUARTERING TAILWIND WAS BLOWING. HE ELECTED TO DEPART FROM RWY 27, BECAUSE RWY 09 HAD UTILITY WIRES AT THE DEPARTURE END AND A SLIGHT UPHILL GRADIENT. DURING THE T/O ROLL, THE AIRPLANE 'LIFTED OFF SLIGHTLY 1-2 TIMES' AND HE HELD THE AIRPLANE ON THE GRASS RWY TO INCREASE ACCELERATION. AFTER ROTATION, THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED TO ABOUT 15-20 FT AGL, AND BEGAN TO SETTLE BACK TO THE GROUND. THE NOSEWHEEL IMPACTED A SMALL DITCH AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. THE ARPT MGR REPORTED THAT A 15 KT WIND WAS BLOWING FROM THE EAST WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. A WX REPORTING STATION ABOUT 11 NM AWAY REPORTED WINDS FROM THE EAST AT 10 KTS, SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. BASED ON PERFORMANCE DATA IN THE CESSNA 152 INFORMATION MANUAL, THE AIRPLANE WAS THEORETICALLY CAPABLE OF A SUCCESSFUL TAKEOFF.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,520 hours in all; 1,960 in this make and model; 91 in the last 90 days; 2,400 as pilot in command; 1,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: E&L Aircraft, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: 01I at 3:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,095 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from CMH, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N5089P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.