20260712009249I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 152 · San Carlos, CA · July 12, 2026

Date: July 12, 2026 · 13:50 local
Place: San Carlos, CA
Airport: San Carlos Airport
Phase of flight: Taxi
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N65613
Reported as: Cessna 152
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-235 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 74 total74 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days

N65613Registered now · Cessna 152S/N 15281652 · Built 1978 Airframe modelCessna 152 Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Student pilot was enroute to perform first solo flight. While student pilot was taxiing to runway at sql, the solo flight was cancled due to high winds and student pilot was instructed to return to the San Carlos flight center ramp. While taxiing on the San Carlos flight center ramp, the pilot struck the left wing leading edge tip area against the rear ladder attached to a parked fuel truck. This FAA inspector believes the student pilot's lack of aircraft ramp taxiing time/experience contributed to the incident.

As the FAA filed it

STUDENT PILOT WAS ENROUTE TO PERFORM FIRST SOLO FLIGHT. WHILE STUDENT PILOT WAS TAXIING TO RUNWAY AT SQL, THE SOLO FLIGHT WAS CANCLED DUE TO HIGH WINDS AND STUDENT PILOT WAS INSTRUCTED TO RETURN TO THE SAN CARLOS FLIGHT CENTER RAMP. WHILE TAXIING ON THE SAN CARLOS FLIGHT CENTER RAMP, THE PILOT STRUCK THE LEFT WING LEADING EDGE TIP AREA AGAINST THE REAR LADDER ATTACHED TO A PARKED FUEL TRUCK. THIS FAA INSPECTOR BELIEVES THE STUDENT PILOT'S LACK OF AIRCRAFT RAMP TAXIING TIME/EXPERIENCE CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT.