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13 fatalities

Corporate Airlines Flight 5966 Crashes on Approach to Kirksville (N875JX)

Kirksville, MO, US

On October 20, 2004, a British Aerospace JETSTREAM 32 (registration N875JX) operated by Corporate Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Kirksville, MO. 13 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the pilots' failure to follow established procedures and properly conduct a nonprecision instrument approach at night in IMC, including their descent below the minimum descent altitude (MDA) before required visual cues were available (which continued… This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-07-04Data APIEditorial standards
Aircraft registered N875JX
Aircraft registered N875JX. Photo: RedRipper24 / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

On October 19, 2004, Corporate Airlines flight 5966, a BAE Systems BAE-J3201, struck trees and crashed short of runway 36 at Kirksville Regional Airport. The captain, first officer, and 11 passengers were fatally injured; two passengers were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Accident Overview

On October 19, 2004, at approximately 1937 central daylight time, Corporate Airlines, operating as American Connection, flight 5966, struck trees during its final approach and crashed short of runway 36 at Kirksville Regional Airport in Kirksville, Missouri. The flight was a scheduled passenger flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport in St. Louis, Missouri. Night instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) were present at the time of the accident, and the flight was conducted under an instrument flight rules flight plan.

Aircraft and Flight Crew

The aircraft involved was a BAE Systems BAE-J3201, registration N875JX. The flight crew comprised a captain and a first officer. There were 13 passengers on board.

Injuries and Damage

The captain, first officer, and 11 of the 13 passengers sustained fatal injuries. Two passengers sustained serious injuries. The airplane was destroyed by the impact and a subsequent post-impact fire.

Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigated the accident. The full report is available online, and the accident report number is NTSB/AAR-06/01.

Controlled flight into terrain

Related events

Same operator

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 20 Oct 2004 British Aerospace JETSTREAM 32 accident near Kirksville, MO?

On October 19, 2004, Corporate Airlines flight 5966, a BAE Systems BAE-J3201, struck trees and crashed short of runway 36 at Kirksville Regional Airport. The captain, first officer, and 11 passengers were fatally injured; two passengers were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Were there any fatalities in the 20 Oct 2004 British Aerospace JETSTREAM 32 accident?

The accident was fatal, resulting in 13 fatalities.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 20 Oct 2004 involved a British Aerospace JETSTREAM 32, registration N875JX, operated by Corporate Airlines, at Kirksville, MO.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

the pilots' failure to follow established procedures and properly conduct a nonprecision instrument approach at night in IMC, including their descent below the minimum descent altitude (MDA) before required visual cues were available (which continued unmoderated until the airplane struck the trees) and their failure…

More accident analyses

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20041020X01659. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.