Cessna 152 accident near Mansfield, Massachusetts, December 11, 1996
On December 11, 1996 at about 4:40 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N68180, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mansfield, Massachusetts (Mansfield Municipal). 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 during the takeoff roll, which resulted in the airplane veering into a snowbank. The proximity of the snowbank was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 11, 1996 · about 4:40 pm local time · cases in 1996
- Place
- Mansfield, Massachusetts · Mansfield Municipal · cases near this airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N68180 · no longer on the register · serial 15282167
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot attempted a practice soft field takeoff on an asphalt runway. He stated that he applied insufficient rudder during the takeoff roll, and the airplane veered left into a snowbank and nosed over. Examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact failure of the airplane or brake system. At the time of the accident, the runway was dry, and the wind was calm. The student pilot had 21 hours of total solo flight time.
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: student
- Flight time: 76 hours in all; 76 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 21 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,309 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 13, 1996; 79 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: 1B9
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,498 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 pm from OWD, 13 miles away
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N68180: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 152 1,636 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C 84 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Mansfield Municipal · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Massachusetts 987 since 1982 · 90 in the last ten years
- Massachusetts 2,646 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/NYC97LA028.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.