Narrative:

The fourth accident in the last 90 days has occurred at george T lewis field in cedar key, fl. Many times every yr, the last 90 days being of no exception, aircraft attempting to land in cedar key continue to run off the end of the 2500 ft by 100 ft runway into the mud or water. All can be attributed to pilot error. All landed downwind during daylight hours and ran out of runway. Downwind lndgs in light single engine aircraft by reasonably low time pilots is the common element linking most accidents at this airport and unfortunately, this scenario is recurring with increasing frequency. A pilot landing at cedar key has many factors opposing him but several of the contributing factors to the hazards experienced at cedar key can easily be corrected. 2 windsocks, one located at the northeast corner and one located at the southwest corner of the field are so poorly located or blocked by tall trees that they often read incorrectly misleading the pilot of the true wind direction. All runway makings are so faded and unreadable that they easily contribute to the misinterp of runway scale. Many and I emphasis many of the runway lights are no longer functional with no functional lighting at either end of the runway for hundreds of ft. The rotating beacon and the VASI lights have not been operational for 6 yrs. Outside of occasional grass cutting, the airport at cedar key receives little maintenance. By correcting any if not all of the above mentioned problems, the safety of general aviation operations at george T lewis field will be greatly enhanced. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter believes federal funds were used for the original lighting. Federal funds are available, he learned from a civic meeting, to improve airport. Believes the local politics are a stumbling block. This is a small island community with long time residents who object to aircraft traffic. This is a tourist economy, however, so the airport is a major advantage. There is no limited access, kids wander onto the runway, ride bikes, automobiles are driven on runway and pedestrians all use it. There is a gravel road which could be paved for these uses. The end of one runway is used as a boat launching area. This is also a gathering place for watching the sunset. This creates a landing about 10 ft over the people's heads. They think it is great! Pilots do not. The airport has parking for about 10-12 planes. On a weekend there are about 40 planes and they park within 10 ft of the runway. Many planes are pulled out of the water with no report made. Windsocks need to be raised to be above tree line. Very great safety hazard if left in this condition.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARPT WINDSOCKS LOW, GIVE POOR OR FALSE INFO. DOWNWIND LNDGS, ROLL OFF RWY FREQUENTLY.

Narrative: THE FOURTH ACCIDENT IN THE LAST 90 DAYS HAS OCCURRED AT GEORGE T LEWIS FIELD IN CEDAR KEY, FL. MANY TIMES EVERY YR, THE LAST 90 DAYS BEING OF NO EXCEPTION, ACFT ATTEMPTING TO LAND IN CEDAR KEY CONTINUE TO RUN OFF THE END OF THE 2500 FT BY 100 FT RWY INTO THE MUD OR WATER. ALL CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO PLT ERROR. ALL LANDED DOWNWIND DURING DAYLIGHT HRS AND RAN OUT OF RWY. DOWNWIND LNDGS IN LIGHT SINGLE ENG ACFT BY REASONABLY LOW TIME PLTS IS THE COMMON ELEMENT LINKING MOST ACCIDENTS AT THIS ARPT AND UNFORTUNATELY, THIS SCENARIO IS RECURRING WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY. A PLT LNDG AT CEDAR KEY HAS MANY FACTORS OPPOSING HIM BUT SEVERAL OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE HAZARDS EXPERIENCED AT CEDAR KEY CAN EASILY BE CORRECTED. 2 WINDSOCKS, ONE LOCATED AT THE NE CORNER AND ONE LOCATED AT THE SW CORNER OF THE FIELD ARE SO POORLY LOCATED OR BLOCKED BY TALL TREES THAT THEY OFTEN READ INCORRECTLY MISLEADING THE PLT OF THE TRUE WIND DIRECTION. ALL RWY MAKINGS ARE SO FADED AND UNREADABLE THAT THEY EASILY CONTRIBUTE TO THE MISINTERP OF RWY SCALE. MANY AND I EMPHASIS MANY OF THE RWY LIGHTS ARE NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL WITH NO FUNCTIONAL LIGHTING AT EITHER END OF THE RWY FOR HUNDREDS OF FT. THE ROTATING BEACON AND THE VASI LIGHTS HAVE NOT BEEN OPERATIONAL FOR 6 YRS. OUTSIDE OF OCCASIONAL GRASS CUTTING, THE ARPT AT CEDAR KEY RECEIVES LITTLE MAINT. BY CORRECTING ANY IF NOT ALL OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED PROBLEMS, THE SAFETY OF GENERAL AVIATION OPS AT GEORGE T LEWIS FIELD WILL BE GREATLY ENHANCED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR BELIEVES FEDERAL FUNDS WERE USED FOR THE ORIGINAL LIGHTING. FEDERAL FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE, HE LEARNED FROM A CIVIC MEETING, TO IMPROVE ARPT. BELIEVES THE LCL POLITICS ARE A STUMBLING BLOCK. THIS IS A SMALL ISLAND COMMUNITY WITH LONG TIME RESIDENTS WHO OBJECT TO ACFT TFC. THIS IS A TOURIST ECONOMY, HOWEVER, SO THE ARPT IS A MAJOR ADVANTAGE. THERE IS NO LIMITED ACCESS, KIDS WANDER ONTO THE RWY, RIDE BIKES, AUTOMOBILES ARE DRIVEN ON RWY AND PEDESTRIANS ALL USE IT. THERE IS A GRAVEL ROAD WHICH COULD BE PAVED FOR THESE USES. THE END OF ONE RWY IS USED AS A BOAT LAUNCHING AREA. THIS IS ALSO A GATHERING PLACE FOR WATCHING THE SUNSET. THIS CREATES A LNDG ABOUT 10 FT OVER THE PEOPLE'S HEADS. THEY THINK IT IS GREAT! PLTS DO NOT. THE ARPT HAS PARKING FOR ABOUT 10-12 PLANES. ON A WEEKEND THERE ARE ABOUT 40 PLANES AND THEY PARK WITHIN 10 FT OF THE RWY. MANY PLANES ARE PULLED OUT OF THE WATER WITH NO RPT MADE. WINDSOCKS NEED TO BE RAISED TO BE ABOVE TREE LINE. VERY GREAT SAFETY HAZARD IF LEFT IN THIS CONDITION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.