# Accident 20260220005679A: Cessna 120, Kneeland, CA, February 20, 2026

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 20, 2026, 08:35 local time
- Place: Kneeland, CA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.7182° N, 123.9271° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.7182&lon=-123.9271&mi=10
- Aircraft: N72904, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N72904) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 120 (registry code 2071402, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-120) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental C85 series (registry code 17008, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c85-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 120
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR C85 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 642 total, 215 in this make and model, 51 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR26LA106](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA106) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260220005679A

## Narrative

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

ON THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY 20, 2026 I DEPARTED MURRAY FIELD (KEKA) IN EUREKA, CA

AT 8:35 A.M. FOR A QUICK MORNING FLIGHT TO LOOK AT THE SNOW ON THE HILLS OUTSIDE OF TOWN. IT

WAS A CALM CLEAR MORNING WITH VERY LITTLE WIND. I DEPARTED RUNWAY 12 AND CLIMBED TO THE

EAST UP TO 4000 FEET. UPON REACHING KNEELAND AIRPORT (019) I OVERFLEW THE FIELD AND

STARTED A DECENT TO LOOK AT THE AIRPORT AND ENTERED THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR RUNWAY 33 TO DO

A LOW INSPECTION PASS AND ASSESS THE CONDITIONS. THERE WAS SNOW ON THE RUNWAY AND I

COULD SEE TARMAC NEAR THE TIE-DOWN AREA AS WELL AS FOOT PRINTS IN THE SNOW; FROM THAT I

GUESSED THE SNOW COULD ONLY BE A FEW INCHES DEEP AT MOST. I WENT AROUND AND SET UP FOR

ANOTHER LOW PASS WHICH I PLANNED TO DRAG MY TIRES TO GET A FEEL FOR THE RUNWAY CONDITION. I

FIRST TOUCHED MY TIRES AT ROUGHLY THE 500FT MARK. THE CONDITION FELT AS I EXPECTED AND I

DECIDED TO REDUCE MY POWER FURTHER TO PUT MORE WEIGHT ON THE TIRES. CONDITIONS STILL FELT

GOOD SO I REDUCED POWER TO IDLE AND COMMITTED TO LANDING. AT ROUGHLY THE 1000FT MARK

THE PLANE STARTED SLOWING DRAMATICALLY. I HAD FULL BACK STICK AT THIS POINT AND A GO AROUND

WAS NOT AN OPTION. AS THE PLANE SLOWED FURTHER I COULD FEEL THE TAIL RISING, AND BEFORE I

KNEW IT I WAS UPSIDE DOWN HANGING FROM MY HARNESS.

THE PLANE CAME TO REST UPSIDE

DOWN AT ROUGHLY THE 1200FT MARK ON THE RUNWAY.

## 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 WPR26LA106](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA106), Feb 20, 2026: Cessna 120 (N72904), Kneeland, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during landing roll on a snow-covered runway.

## Other reports on N72904 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19760102003289A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19760102003289A), Jan 2, 1976: Cessna 120 (N72904), Angwin, CA, Substantial damage. Plowed fld beside rwy.

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.