- Date
- October 20, 1990, 16:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Kent, OH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19901020046541A19901020046542A
- Case key
- 36828
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Failure of both pilots to maintain visual separation in the landing traffic pattern. Factors to this mid-air collision were the excessive number of airplanes in the airport traffic pattern and radio frequency congestion.
Failure of both pilots to maintain visual separation in the landing traffic pattern. Factors to this mid-air collision were the excessive number of airplanes in the airport traffic pattern and radio frequency congestion.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The two Cessna 152'S collided while operating in a congested airport traffic pattern. There were 7 airplanes in this pattern at the same time. The airport has no control tower. The Kent state university flight training coordinator said, 'there was a great deal of transient traffic this day...the radio frequency was saturated with radio calls.' The pilots lost visual contact with each other, because there were so many airplanes and some of these were not familiar with the normal traffic pattern, after the mid air collision, both airplanes were able to land safely.
The two Cessna 152'S collided while operating in a congested airport traffic pattern. There were 7 airplanes in this pattern at the same time. The airport has no control tower. The Kent state university flight training coordinator said, 'there was a great deal of transient traffic this day...the radio frequency was saturated with radio calls.' The pilots lost visual contact with each other, because there were so many airplanes and some of these were ot faimliar with the normal traffic pattern. After the mid air collision, both airplanes were able to land safely.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N5331P
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15285901
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-N2C, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Kent State University
- Departed
- 1G3 · Stow, OH
- Airport
- 1G3 · Kent State, runway 19, 3,965 × 60 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
- Registration
- N95474
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15284914
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Kent State University
- Departed
- 29G · Ravenna, OH
- Airport
- 1G3 · Kent State, runway 19, 3,965 × 60 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N5331P
- Age
- 24
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 213 total · 90 in this make and model
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N95474
- Age
- 19
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 67 total · 25 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N5331P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.