Cessna 152 accident near Stow, Ohio, August 24, 2021
On August 24, 2021 at about 2:46 pm local time, a 1984 Cessna 152, registered N95445, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Stow, Ohio (Kent State University 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 airplane’s impact with a deer during a night landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 2021 · about 2:46 pm local time · cases in 2021
- Place
- Stow, Ohio · Kent State University Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152, built 1984 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N95445 · registry record · serial 15285898
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that the student pilot was landing at the destination airport following a night cross-country instructional flight when during landing the airplane struck a deer. The flight instructor, who had taken control of the airplane when they saw the deer, maintained control of the airplane, and taxied the airplane off the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the bottom of the fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and reported that he did everything in his control to avoid the deer.
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
- Wildlife encounter (non-bird) during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Ability to respond/compensate
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on equipment
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 39 hours in all; 37 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 208 hours in all; 672 in this make and model; 124 in the last 90 days; 53 in the last 30 days; 566 as pilot in command; 286 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 21, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,541 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 19, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-N2C (piston); 10,899 hours total
- Operator: Kent State University
The flight
- Departed from: BVI Beaver Falls PA at 2:02 pm
- Runway 19, 4,000 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 am from AKR, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – Lower Part of Fuselage Buckled
Photo 2 – Wrinkles in Lower Part of Fuselage
Photo 3 – Closeup of Popped Rivets in Lower Part of FuselageThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on November 16, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NTSB Form 6120 Pilot Operator Report CEN21LA413 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Kent State Incident Report Instructor Pilot CEN21LA413 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Kent State Incident Report Student Pilot CEN21LA413 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array CEN21LA413 | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N95445 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N95445 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 152 1,636 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-N2C 18 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Kent State University Airport · nearest airport
- Beaver County · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Ohio 1,884 since 1982 · 253 in the last ten years
- Ohio 8,528 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N95445 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN21LA413.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.