Great Lakes 2T 1A accident near Cambridge, Ohio, June 20, 2020
On June 20, 2020 at about 2:44 pm local time, a 1930 Great Lakes 2T 1A, registered N856L, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Cambridge, Ohio (Cambridge Municipal Airport). It was a business 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in the airplane exiting the runway and striking a ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 2020 · about 2:44 pm local time
- Place
- Cambridge, Ohio · Cambridge Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Great Lakes 2T 1A Undesignat, built 1930 · all 2T 1As on the register
- Registration
- N856L · registry record · serial 117
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that after landing the tailwheel equipped airplane, he applied brake during the landing roll and the airplane started to turn. He applied rudder to correct but overcorrected and the airplane oscillated and then went off the left side of the runway. The airplane subsequently struck a ditch next to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right lower wing and the right horizontal tail and elevator. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures 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 on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 458 hours in all; 99 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 358 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,422 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 16, 2019
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1E (piston); 1,428 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CDI Cambridge OH at 12:50 pm
- Destination: CDI Cambridge OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 4,298 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from CDI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 9, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photographs of the Accident Airplane | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.