British Aerospace BA-31 accident near Hamilton, Ca, May 9, 1997
On May 9, 1997 at about 10:30 am local time, a British Aerospace BA-31, registered N854JS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hamilton. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 12 people were on board or involved. 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
- May 9, 1997 · about 10:30 am local time
- Place
- Hamilton, Canada
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 12 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- British Aerospace BA-31
- Registration
- N854JS · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Not recorded
- Operator: Chautauqua Airlines INC.
The flight
- Departed from: YHM
- Destination: PIT Pittsburgh PA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Wind: from 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:00 am from YHM
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.
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.