# Accident 20260128000939A: Cessna 172S, Wilmington, DE, January 28, 2026

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 28, 2026, 20:50 local time
- Place: Wilmington, DE
- Airport: New Castle
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: DQ8S
- Location: 39.6727° N, 75.6052° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.6727&lon=-75.6052&mi=10
- Aircraft: N969FG, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N969FG) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172S (registry code 2072439, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (registry code 41597, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-l2a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172S
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 677 total, 199 in this make and model, 99 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA26LA102](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA102) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260128000939A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE PIC WAS CONDUCTING A CIRCLING APPROACH TO RUNWAY 1. RUNWAY 1 AND RUNWAY 32 LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE PIC ALIGNED WITH RUNWAY 32 WHICH WAS REPORTED CLOSED, LANDED ON THE SNOW-COVERED RUNWAY 32, AND LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL.

SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION DOCUMENTED SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURAL AND SKIN DAMAGE TO THE AFT FUSELAGE, INCLUDING THE AFT FUSELAGE RIB, DOOR FRAME, AND BUCKLING AROUND THE AFT WINDOW. DAMAGE WAS ALSO NOTED TO THE RIGHT-WING LEADING EDGE, WING AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER SPARS, FLAP, AND WINGTIP ASSEMBLIES. IN ADDITION, THE FIREWALL, POWERPLANT, AND PROPELLER SHOWED EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA26LA102](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA102), Jan 29, 2026: Cessna 172 (N969FG), New Castle, DE, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilots’ failure to properly identify the assigned runway during the landing approach, which resulted in the airplane landing on a closed, snow-covered runway. Contributing was the illumination of…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.