Cessna 172S accident near Akron, Ohio, December 26, 2002
On December 26, 2002 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N782SP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Akron, Ohio (Akron-Canton Regional 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 improper flare which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 26, 2002 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Akron, Ohio · Akron-Canton Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N782SP · registry record · serial 172S8710
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing on runway 23, a 7,597 foot-long, 150 foot-wide, asphalt runway. The airplane touched down hard and began to bounce. The airplane bounced five or six times before the pilot performed a go-around. During the second landing attempt, the pilot experienced difficulty manipulating the airplane's controls. The airplane landed hard and veered off the left side of the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed the outboard 6-inches of the propeller tips were curled aft and the upper part of the landing gear strut was pushed into and thru the firewall. Additionally, the movement of the airplane's control column, rudder pedals, aileron cables, and elevator trim was restricted due to impact damage. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems prior to the first landing attempt. A weather observation taken about the time of the accident reported that the winds were from 260 degrees at 12 knots.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,109 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 1,204 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 20, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 820 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Airsports Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: BKL Cleveland OH at 7:00 pm
- Destination: CAK Akron OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 7,597 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 23°F (-5°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 7:33 pm from CAK
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.