Cessna 152 accident near Berrien Springs, Michigan, December 6, 2014
On December 6, 2014 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N25979, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Berrien Springs, Michigan (Andrews University Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing and his poor decision not to abort the landing before the airplane traveled off the end of the airstrip.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 6, 2014 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Berrien Springs, Michigan · Andrews University Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N25979 · registry record · serial 15280892
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot landed on the 1,944 foot long grass airstrip and traveled off the end of the airstrip, crossing a paved intersecting runway. The airplane continued to travel another 60 feet where it struck an embankment. The airplane traveled another 30 feet before nosing over causing substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot stated that a gust of wind caused him to lose directional control of the airplane before it nosed over; however wind reported at a nearby airport was variable at 6 knots. It could not be determined if the airplane touched down at too high of an airspeed or if the pilot landed long on the airstrip.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 140 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C20 Berrien Springs MI
- Destination: C20 Berrien Springs MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 1,944 ft by 115 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.52 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from BEH, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
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.
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.