1971 — Oct 21, Chicago & Southern Flight 804 Approach Crash in Fog, Peoria, IL –all 16

–16 Aircraft Crashes Record Office (Geneva, Switzerland). Illinois.
–16 Eckert. “Fatal commercial air transport crashes, 1924-1981.” AJFMP, 3/1, Mar 1982, Table 1.
–16 Ferrara, Grace M. The Disaster File: The 1970’s. New York: Facts on File, 1979, p. 7.
–14 passengers
— 2 crew
–16 NTSB. AAR. Chicago & Southern Airlines, Inc., Peoria, Illinois, October 21, 1971.

Narrative Information

National Transportation Safety Board: “Synopsis Chicago & Southern Airlines, Inc., Flight 804 of October 21, 1971, 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 approach course, approximately 2 miles west of Runway 12 of the Greater Peoria Airport. Near the point of contact there are two towers, each of which supports four sets of cables. The elevation of the ground at the base of the most easterly tower is 681 feet mean sea level. The 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 hedge-wood tree 152 feet from the point of initial wire contact…

“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.

“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.”

History of the Flight

“Chicago & Southern Airlines, Inc., Flight 804 of October 21, 1971. was a regularly scheduled
Flight originating at Meigs Field, Chicago, Illinois and terminating at Springfield, Illinois, with an en route stop at Peoria, Illinois. The aircraft, N51CS, was an ATECO Westwind II.” (NTSB.C&S, p. 1) …..

“At 1201:22…[CSO 804} received clearance to the Peoria VORTAC…to maintain 4,000 feet, and to hold west on the 275’ radial….The holding at…the Peoria VORTAC was to allow two Ozark Air Line flights preceding CSO 804 to execute instrument approaches to the Greater Peoria Airport.

“At 1210:22, Peoria Approach Control advised CSO 804 ‘. . .weather three hundred scattered, measured ceiling four hundred broken, two thousand five hundred overcast, visibility one; light rain shower and fog. The, ah, first Ozark Fairchild tried it about, ah, fifteen-twenty minutes ago. said it was better for Runway 4; however, ah, he tried to get established on final out there and he’d lose the airport, whereas at around 2,000 feet, you can fly right around the airport and keep it in sight, so that stuff is down low and the wind is 130 degrees at 6.’ CSO 804 replied, ‘We’ll try it for four and thank you.’ The two Ozark flights, both using Fairchild FH-227 aircraft, made a total of five missed approaches before they proceeded to their alternate airports.

“At 1212:05, CSO 804 was cleared for a VOR Runway 12 approach and to circle to Runway 4. The flight acknowledged the clearance stating, ‘Okay, we’re at the VOR outbound.’ At this time. Peoria Approach Control again gave the flight an altimeter setting of 30.23.

“At 1214:05, CSO 804 reported descending through 3,000 feet m.s.l. and, at 1218:48, reported over the Peoria VORTAC inbound. Peoria Approach Control then cleared the flight to land on Runway 4 and gave the wind as 150 [degrees] at 5 knots. The flight acknowledged the clearance. This was the last known communication from CSO 804.

“At 1224:07, Peoria Approach Control began a series of unsuccessful calls to establish radio contact with the flight. Then, suspecting that an accident had occurred, they alerted the Air National Guard Crash Rescue Unit which was located on the airport.

“A helicopter pilot employed by a Peoria construction company had been flying in an area 5 miles north of the airport…When he noted activity by the airport emergency equipment, he called the Greater Peoria Airport Tower and offered his assistance. He was…issued a special clearance to operate within the control zone during the search. He and an observer took off and flew toward the west. He stated, ‘As I proceeded westbound, the weather was considerably less than the 300 scattered and 400 broken and the visibility was considerably less than a mile which I estimate to be a quarter (1/4) to one-half (1/2) mile at the most. The height of the clouds in the area west of the field was not more than a hundred (100) feet.’ After he found the aircraft wreckage, he advised that there did not appear to be any survivors, and directed the emergency vehicles to the crash site.

“The wreckage was approximately 2.0 nautical miles west of the airport…The aircraft had struck electrical transmission lines which cross the Peoria VOR Runway 12 instrument approach path 2.0 nautical miles from the approach end of Runway 12….The lowest cables on the westerly tower were severed…The elevations on the wires on this tower were: Lowest pair – 65 feet above ground level….

“Three…witnesses heard a loud roar which sounded like a surge of engine power prior to impact….

“The Greater Peoria Airport instrument landing system serving Runway 12/20 was shut down because of construction work on the runway….” (NTSB.C&S, pp. 2-5.)

“Surveillance of Chicago & Southern Airlines, Inc.. by the FAA:

“FAA records reveal that from April 20, 1970. to October 7, 1971, a total of 120 flight checks were made and recorded. These checks were given by FAA Operations Inspectors and company designated check pilots. The pilot of CSO 804 received three flight checks from FAA Operations Inspectors and one from a company check pilot.

“Three violations of Federal Aviation Regulation Part 135, concerning crew flight and duty time limitations, noncompliance with an Aircraft Deficiency Report and failure of a mechanic to make a logbook entry, were filed against Chicago & Southern Airlines in June of 1970 and resulted in civil penalties.

“Testimony at the Safety Board’s public hearing disclosed that the company knowingly continued its practices of exceeding crew flight and duty time limitations, and falsified company records to conceal these violations from the FAA.

“The pilot of CSO 804 had operated several aviation companies as owner or president prior to his becoming president of Chicago and Southern Airlines, Inc. He had served frequently as a pilot-in-command in the flight activities of these companies, and had made some flights in violation of the Federal Aviation Regulations. Penalties were assessed against him as pilot-in-command for operating aircraft at more than the maximum allowable gross might; for operating an air taxi flight under instrument flight rules without having the required 6-month proficiency check; failure to have the required aircraft registration certificate, the approved flight manual, or a copy of the company’s air taxi manual aboard the aircraft; and in another instance for serving as a pilot without having a valid medical certificate in his possession.” (NTSB. C&S, pp. 8-9.)

Analysis and Conclusions

“….The remaining possibility is that the descent was intentional, that the pilot was proceeding by means of visual reference to ground objects, but, because of the restricted visibility and rain droplets on the windscreen, he did not see the powerlines in time to avoid collision….

“It is apparent that a deviation from the standard approach procedure must have been initiated before the VOR was reached, or shortly thereafter, in order for the aircraft to have descended to the 746-foot altitude at which it struck the powerlines. Either the aircraft was not at the specified 1,800 feet m.s.l. over the VORTAC, or an average rate of descent in excess of 1,000 feet per minute was established after it passed the VORTAC and continued through the MDA until shortly before impact…” (NTSB. C&S, p. 12) ….

“The factors which could explain were:

a. If the landing at Peoria were abandoned, the company would have had to pay the transportation costs of three passengers from an alternate airport back to Peoria.

b. A crew change was to take place at Peoria, and if the landing was not effected, the pilot, the president of the airline, would have had to continue to fly the schedule, and would have been unable to attend to his duties as president of the airline. Since he was known to run every facet of the company business himself, without delegating authority to others, it is likely that he considered his daily presence at the company headquarters vital to the success of the airline.” (NTSB. C&S, p. 13)

Recommendations and Corrective Measures

“On May 10, 1972, the Safety Board made specific recommendations to the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration concerning (a) better methods of determining passenger weights, (b) investigation into the background of applicants for Air Taxi and Commercial Operator of Small Aircraft Certificates and check pilot authority, and (c) flight time limitations for pilots operating under the provisions of Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations….

“Additionally, in December 1971. the Board initiated a special safety investigation and accident prevention study to determine the level of safety existing in air taxi operations, and to identify the safety factors involved….” (NTSB. C&S, p. 14)

Sources

Aircraft Crashes Record Office (Geneva, Switzerland). Illinois. Accessed 3-9-2009 at: http://www.baaa-acro.com/Pays/Etats-Unis/Illinois.htm

Eckert, William G. “Fatal commercial air transport crashes, 1924-1981.” American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, Vol. 3, No. 1, March 1982, Table 1.

Ferrara, Grace M. The Disaster File: The 1970’s. New York: Facts on File, 1979.

National Transportation Safety Board. Aircraft Accident Report. Chicago and Southern Airlines, Inc., Beech E18S (Ateco Westwind II) N51CS, Peoria, Illinois, October 21, 1971 (SA-430; File No. 3-0380; NTSB-AAR-72-15). Washington, DC: NTSB, Adopted April 19, 1972, 31 pages. Accessed at: http://www.airdisaster.com/reports/ntsb/AAR72-15.pdf