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WPR20CA219

2020-07-12 · Concord, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport CCR

Current FAA registration · N9559D

Make / Model
CESSNA 172R
Year of manufacture
1999 · 21 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING I0360 SER (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19990330
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AD4AD1

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The student pilot's failure to maintain airplane control when the airplane drifted off of runway centerline and subsequently collided with a taxiway sign during a go-around.

Factual narrative

The solo student pilot reported that, during landing, the airplane floated and drifted left of runway centerline. The pilot did not feel that he could make a safe landing and decided to go-around. Full power was added and shortly there after, the airplane struck a taxiway sign. The pilot continued the climb and maneuvered the airplane in the airport traffic pattern and landed without further incident. The left horizontal stabilizer was substantially damaged. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The solo student pilot reported that, during landing, the airplane floated and drifted left of runway centerline.  The pilot did not feel that he could make a safe landing and decided to go-around. Full power was added and shortly there after, the airplane struck a taxiway sign.  The pilot continued the climb and maneuvered the airplane in the airport traffic pattern and landed without further incident.  The left horizontal stabilizer was substantially damaged.  The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.     Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Student/instructed pilot - C
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Sign/marker-Effect on equipment

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_WPR20CA219.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (go-around). All research papers