Great Lakes 2T1-A2 accident near Elkton, Kentucky, August 22, 2004
On August 22, 2004 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Great Lakes 2T1-A2, registered N1XG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Elkton, Kentucky (Standard Field). It was a personal 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 misidentification of the runway, which resulted in the airplane striking an obscured runway marker. Factors were the tailwheel airplane's reduced forward and lateral visibility during landing rollout and inadequate maintenance of the airport facility, including the failure to replace missing runway boundary markers and a confusing mowing pattern adjacent to the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 2004 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Elkton, Kentucky · Standard Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Great Lakes 2T1-A2 · all 2T1-A2s on the register
- Registration
- N1XG · registry record · serial 1001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Two airplanes, in loose formation, made a left break over the runway, entered the traffic pattern, and completed a landing to the turf runway. Although visible from the air, both the runway marker and stanchion were obscured by overgrown grass during the landing rollout. During its rollout, the second airplane struck an electrical conduit mounted on a stanchion, and sustained minor damage. The runway boundary marker was half of a plastic barrel, cut lengthwise, and the stanchion was about 6 feet outboard the boundary marker, 8-10 inches high. Although visible from the air, both the runway marker and stanchion were obscured by overgrown grass during the landing rollout. Boundary markers were supposed to be located about 300 feet apart, on each side of the runway; however, two consecutive left-side runway boundary markers were missing. The left-side runway boundary markers ran almost the entire length of the airport property, about in the middle of the airport's width. One-third of the airport property had been mowed the day before the accident. The mowed area was approximately L- shaped, and included the length of the field to the left of the runway, and the approach end of the runway, up to the second boundary marker. The rest of the runway had last been mowed 8 days prior to the accident, and the pilots thought they were landing on an "imaginary centerline" in the middle of the airport.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,563 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 17, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 735 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 29, 2004; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4M7 Russellville KY at 7:30 pm
- Destination: Elkton KY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 2,930 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 34 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:52 pm from CKV, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.