Cessna 172M accident near Ravenna, Ohio, December 8, 2001
On December 8, 2001 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N12521, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ravenna, Ohio (Portage County 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 failure to maintain directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 8, 2001 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Ravenna, Ohio · Portage County · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N12521 · registry record · serial 17262037
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot elected to perform a short field takeoff. As he pulled onto the runway, he advanced the throttle, and pulled back on the control wheel to lift the nose wheel off the ground. Initially, the airplane was not aligned with the runway, and the airplane headed left. The pilot applied right rudder, and then swerved right too much. He applied left rudder again, and the airplane continued to the left and departed the runway on the left side in a nose high attitude. After departing the runway, the pilot closed the throttle. The airplane continued ahead, angling further from the runway, and struck a drainage ditch. The airplane continued across the ditch and came to rest on the other side with the nose landing gear collapsed.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 39 hours in all; 39 in this make and model; 6 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,537 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2001; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 29G Ravenna OH at 9:15 pm
- Destination: 29G Ravenna OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.