British Aerospace BA-31 incident near Louisville, Kentucky, November 26, 1986
On November 26, 1986 at about 2:30 am local time, a British Aerospace BA-31, registered N823JS, suffered minor damage in an incident near Louisville, Kentucky (Standiford airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 12 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 26, 1986 · about 2:30 am local time · cases in 1986
- Place
- Louisville, Kentucky · Standiford · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 12 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- British Aerospace BA-31
- Registration
- N823JS · registry record · serial 523
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF, A JETSTREAM 31 OPERATING AS A COMMUTER CARRIER TO DAYTON, OHIO, COLLIDED WITH THE FOURTH BAGGAGE CART OF A FOUR CAR TRAIN. THE VISIBILITY ON THE RAMP WAS REDUCED DUE TO RAIN AND FOG. THE BAGGAGE CART DRIVER STATED THAT HE WAS CLEARING THE FOG FROM THE WINDSHIELD AND DID NOT SEE THE AIRCRAFT IN TIME TO AVOID THE COLLISION. THE AIRPORT WAS LIGHTED IN THE VICINITY OF THE MISHAP. THE PILOT ALSO HAD THE AIRCRAFT LIGHTS ON.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,525 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 201 in the last 90 days; 3,205 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,851 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, November 20, 1986; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 15,000 lb
- Seats: 19
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Louisville KY
- Destination: Dayton OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 080° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 am from SDF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 10 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N823JS the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N823JS on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- British Aerospace 133 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331 7 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Louisville Muhammad Ali International · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Kentucky 702 since 1982 · 111 in the last ten years
- Kentucky 2,978 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N823JS 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ATL87IA027.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.