Cessna 172 accident near Concord, California, July 12, 2020
On July 12, 2020 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1999 Cessna 172, registered N9559D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Concord, California (Buchanan Field). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 2020 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Concord, California · Buchanan Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 R, built 1999 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N9559D · registry record · serial 17280488
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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 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 defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Effect on equipment
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 247 hours in all; 247 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 128 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 30, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,199.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 17, 2020; 79 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 8,642 hours total
- Operator: Pacific States Aviation, Inc
The flight
- Departed from: CCR Concord CA
- Destination: CCR Concord CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01R, 2,770 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KCCR, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR20CA219.