Cessna 172N accident near Weston, West Virginia, May 27, 1995
On May 27, 1995 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N5085G, was destroyed in an accident near Weston, West Virginia (Louis Bennett Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall, and a subsequent uncontrolled descent and collision with the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 1995 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Weston, West Virginia · Louis Bennett Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N5085G · registry record · serial 17273534
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON RUNWAY 01 MOMENTARILY AND THEN TOOK OFF AGAIN. DURING THE CLIMB, THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING AND NOSE DROPPED SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED BY WITNESSES 'CLIMBING AT A VERY STEEP ANGLE AND...DIDN'T LOOK LIKE IT WAS MOVING FORWARD,...ALMOST STANDING STILL....' POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION BY THE FAA REVEALED NO ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE. ADDITIONALLY, THE FLAPS WERE FOUND IN THE RETRACTED POSITION.
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: private
- Flight time: 151 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 111 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,240 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 25, 1994; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OSU Columbus OH
- Destination: 49I
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 3,195 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 9 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 11 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; scat at 4,100 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:58 pm from CKB, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N5085G the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.