Cessna 152 accident near Stow, Ohio, June 12, 2017
On June 12, 2017 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 1985 Cessna 152, registered N95821, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Stow, Ohio (Kent State Univ airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot’s rudder overcorrection during the landing roll, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 2017 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Stow, Ohio · Kent State Univ · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 NO SERIES, built 1985 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N95821 · registry record · serial 15285970
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, during the landing roll of a solo flight, the airplane landed to the left of the runway centerline. He added that he applied right rudder but overcorrected and that the airplane veered to the right. The student pilot reported that he "panicked" and his leg "got stuck on the right rudder." The airplane veered off the runway to the right and impacted a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Rudder control system › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Rudder control system › Unintentional use/operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 21.5 hours in all; 21.5 in this make and model; 13.6 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 0.4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,740.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 8, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-N2C (piston); 7,941 hours total
- Operator: Kent State University
The flight
- Departed from: 1G3 Stow OH at 3:10 pm
- Destination: 1G3 Stow OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 4,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from KAKR, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 18, 2017. 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 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | 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.