British Aerospace BAE-3101 accident near Joplin, Missouri, December 14, 1987
On December 14, 1987 at about 7:58 pm local time, a British Aerospace BAE-3101, registered N331PX, was destroyed in an accident near Joplin, Missouri (Joplin Municipal airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 2 people were seriously injured and 5 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 14, 1987 · about 7:58 pm local time
- Place
- Joplin, Missouri · Joplin Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 5 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- British Aerospace BAE-3101
- Registration
- N331PX · no longer on the register · serial 700
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CAPT STATED THAT HE HAD PLANNED THE APPROACH AT A HIGHER-THAN-NORMAL AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE DUE TO A REPORTED LOW LEVEL WINDSHEAR. AT 400 FEET AGL THE ACFT ENTERED A LIGHT DOWNDRAFT BUT THE CREW CORRECTED THE DESCENT PROFILE WITH POWER. AT 200 FEET AGL THE ACFT SUDDENLY, ACCORDING TO THE CAPT, PITCHED DOWN BEFORE IMPACTING THE RUNWAY. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE ACFT PITCHED DOWN ON SHORT FINAL, LEVELED OFF, THEN SLAMMED ONTO THE RUNWAY ON ALL WHEELS. IT THEN BOUNCED, PITCHED DOWN AGAIN AND IMPACTED THE RUNWAY NOSE-FIRST. A SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION, OPERATIONAL TEST, AND TEARDOWN OF THE AIRPLANE'S STALL PROTECTION SYSTEM FOUND IT TO BE FUNCTIONING SATISFACTORILY. THE TWO POWERPLANTS ALSO TESTED WITHIN NORMAL PARAMETERS.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,864 hours in all; 414 in this make and model; 253 in the last 90 days; 82 in the last 30 days; 1,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,470 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, November 10, 1987; 246 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 15,000 lb
- Seats: 19
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331-10 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Express Airlines, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: MEM Memphis TN at 6:34 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13, 6,503 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:48 pm from JLN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 5 |
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.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.