Cessna 172 accident near San Jose, California, April 20, 2018
On April 20, 2018 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1978 Cessna 172, registered N23AT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near San Jose, California (Reid-Hillview Of Santa Clara C airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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 the runway heading during the approach to land, and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 2018 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- San Jose, California · Reid-Hillview Of Santa Clara C · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 N, built 1978 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N23AT · registry record · serial 17270997
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The manager at the flight school reported that, during a training flight, the student allowed the airplane to drift to the right of the runway centerline on approach. He added that the flight instructor reminded the student to remain on the centerline, but as the airplane flared for landing it continued to drift to the right of the centerline. The student applied full right rudder, the airplane "yawed and banked to the left," the instructor pilot initiated a go-around, but the right main landing gear struck a taxiway sign. Subsequently, the flight instructor continued the go-around and landed without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The manager at the flight school reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR go-around)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Heading/course › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Contributed to outcome
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 820 hours in all; 520 in this make and model; 331 in the last 90 days; 131 in the last 30 days; 670 as pilot in command; 400 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 21, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 42 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 17,208.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 16, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 10,629 hours total
- Operator: California In Nice INC
The flight
- Departed from: RHV San Jose CA
- Destination: RHV San Jose CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 31L, 3,099 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 7:47 pm from KRHV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 21, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.