Cessna 152 accident near Columbus, Ohio, February 28, 2003
On February 28, 2003 at about 4:21 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N170SU, was substantially damaged in an accident near Columbus, Ohio (Ohio 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's misjudgment of distance/altitude and the instructor's delayed remedial action,
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 2003 · about 4:21 pm local time
- Place
- Columbus, Ohio · Ohio State University · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N170SU · registry record · serial 15283248
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A flight instructor and student pilot had been performing touch and go landings on runway 27R, which was 2,994 feet long and 100 feet wide. During the accident approach, the student had set 20 degrees of flaps and established 62 knots of indicated airspeed. The CFI observed the airplane descend below the "glidepath," and instructed the student pilot to add power. After a few seconds, the student added about 50 rpms of power, and the CFI told the student to add more power. When the student didn't respond, the CFI attempted to add power himself; however, the student's hand remained over the throttle, and he was unable to add power. The CFI then started to flare the airplane for landing. The airplane touched down about 20 feet prior to the runway in snow, where it pitched forward on its nose, and the nose gear collapsed. The winds at the airport were reported to be calm.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 658 hours in all; 452 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 557 as pilot in command; 372 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 20, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 16 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 0 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,544 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 17, 2003; 62 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OSU Columbus OH at 3:50 pm
- Destination: OSU
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27R, 2,994 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 4:25 pm from OSU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC03LA059.