Date & Time:
Oct 21, 1971 at 1220 LT
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft E18
Operator:
Registration:
N51CS
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Chicago - Peoria
MSN:
BA-211
YOM:
1956
Flight number:
SC804
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
14
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
16
Captain / Total hours on type:
133
Copilot / Total hours on type:
43
Aircraft flight hours:
7751
Circumstances:
Chicago & Southern Airlines, Inc., Flight 804, crashed at approximately 1220 central daylight time while it was executing an instrument approach to the Greater Peoria Airport, Peoria, Illinois. The 16 persons on board received fatal injuries. The aircraft made initial contact with powerlines which cross the VOR Runway 12 final of Runway 12 of the Greater Peoria Airport approach course, approximately 2 miles west. Near the point of contact there are two towers, each of which supports four sets of cables. The easterly tower is 681 feet mean sea level. The elevation of the ground at the base of the most contact was made with the lower cables which were 65 feet above ground level. The aircraft thereafter contacted the ground, bounced and slid into the base of a large hedgewood tree 152 feet from the point of initial wire contact, along a wreckage path of 050° magnetic. The major portion of the aircraft structure remained at the base of the tree. An intense fire ensued which almost completely destroyed the cockpit and cabin area of the fuselage. All 16 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was that the pilot knowingly descended below the Minimum Descent Altitude in an attempt to complete the approach by means of visual reference to ground objects. Because of minimal visibility and low clouds in the approach zone, the aircraft was operated at an altitude too low to provide clearance over the powerlines.
Final Report:
N51CS.pdf761.88 KB
