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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 13, 1982 · cases in 1982
- Place
- West Palm Beach, Florida · Palm Beach International · cases near this airport · 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
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N17818 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Beechcraft F33 Bonanza 1,009 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Beechcraft 6 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental IO-540 43 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Charleston Afb/Intl Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 989 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,712 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N17818 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/MIA82DA073.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.