- Date
- February 20, 2026, 08:57 local (16:57 UTC)
- Place
- Kneeland, CA · O19- Kneeland Airport
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N72904Cessna 120
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 14, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA Oakland FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260220005679A
- Case key
- 202487
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during landing roll on a snow-covered runway.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during touchdown on a snow-covered runway, he reduced engine power to idle shortly after touchdown. Subsequently, the airplane rapidly decelerated and the tail began to rise. The pilot maintained full aft yoke; however, the airplane nosed over and came to rest on the runway, inverted. The horizontal stabilizer and rudder were substantially damaged. The pilot added that prior to landing, he conducted a low pass over the runway, and thought the snow was only a few inches deep, however, following the accident, he estimated the snow was about 5 to 6 inches deep. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N72904
- Reported as
- Cessna 120
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 10098
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 4,556
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 5, 2025 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- EKA · Eureka, CA
- Destination
- EKA · Eureka, CA
- Airport
- O19 · Kneeland, runway 33, 2,250 × 50 ft, snow
- Equipment
- ADS-B
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- October 20, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 619.9 total · 212.6 in this make and model · 546.4 as pilot in command · 41.2 in the last 90 days · 9.7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KACV, 18 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KACV 201953Z AUTO 19011G18KT 10SM CLR 10/02 A3004 RMK AO2 SLP180 T01000017
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N72904 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.