Chicago - Peoria

On October 21, 1971 at 12:20 PM, Chicago - Peoria experienced a crash involving Beechcraft E18, operated by Chicago %26 Southern Airlines, with the event recorded near Peoria Illinois.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

16 people were known to be on board, 16 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 14, passenger fatalities: 14, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. 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.

Aircraft reference details include registration N51CS, MSN BA-211, year of manufacture 1956.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 40.6939°, -89.5891°.