Cessna 172 accident near Bluffton, Ohio, June 13, 2022
On June 13, 2022 at about 9:15 pm local time, a 1968 Cessna 172, registered N78755, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Bluffton, Ohio (Bluffton airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s loss of control during climb after an aborted landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 13, 2022 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Bluffton, Ohio · Bluffton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 K, built 1968 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N78755 · no longer on the register · serial 17257747
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On the day of the accident, the student pilot performed four takeoffs and landings with his flight instructor before he was cleared by the instructor for his second solo traffic pattern flight. The student pilot reported that upon touching down on the third solo landing the airplane was blown across the runway by a sudden crosswind, and he decided to abort the landing. The student pilot described that after applying full power and beginning to climb the airplane encountered an aerodynamic stall. Airport surveillance video confirmed that during the climb, the airplane was in a nose high pitch attitude and at relatively slow ground speed before it descended to the ground in a left turn. The airplane impacted a field to the left of the runway resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings and the vertical stabilizer. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 20 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,983 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 25, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 4,983 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 4,126 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from FDY, 12 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KFDY 132153Z AUTO 20007KT 10SM CLR 32/21 A2990 RMK AO2 SLP114 T03220206
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on April 24, 2023. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Additional 6120 Information from Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot and Instructor Statements | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record - Information from FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Airport Security Video | video | View Download |
| 6 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.