Beech F33A accident near West Palm Beach, Florida, March 13, 1982
On March 13, 1982, a Beech F33A, registered N17818, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Palm Beach, Florida (Palm Beach International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 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
- March 13, 1982
- Place
- West Palm Beach, Florida · Palm Beach International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech F33A · all F33As on the register
- Registration
- N17818 · registry record · serial CE710
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PERSONNEL ON DUTY IN THE TOWER OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCE DURING LANDING. THEY STATED THAT THE NOSE GEAR APPEARED TO COLLAPSE ON THE FINAL TOUCHDOWN. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE FELT A VIBRATION WHEN THE NOSE GEAR CONTACTED THE RUNWAY. HE STATED THAT PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE ON THE NOSE GEAR, AND WHEN HE LOWERED THE NOSE AGAIN, THE NOSE GEAR FAILED.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 692 hours in all; 73 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 442 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,070 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hgd Aircraft INC.
The flight
- Departed from: CHS Charleston SC at 4:30 pm
- Destination: Brooksville FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13, 6,930 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 30,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 169°F (76°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from PBI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 N17818 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.