Probable cause
The airplane’s impact with a deer during a night landing.
NTSB analysis
The flight instructor reported that the student pilot was landing at the destination airport following a night cross-country instructional flight when during landing the airplane struck a deer. The flight instructor, who had taken control of the airplane when they saw the deer, maintained control of the airplane, and taxied the airplane off the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the bottom of the fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and reported that he did everything in his control to avoid the deer.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN21LA413 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Aug 24, 2021
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Stow, Ohio
- Nearest airport
- Kent State University Airport (1G3)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Night
Cessna 152
- N-number
- N95445
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1984
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.