N18PS

On February 11, 2017, a Beech T 34B (N18PS) was involved in an incident near St. Petersburg, FL. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain an appropriate glidepath to the runway.

The pilot reported after maneuvering in the local area for about 45 minutes, he returned to his home airport for landing. He further reported that during the final approach, the airplane sunk below the proper glide path and he increased the power three separate times, but the airplane continued to sink. Subsequently, the airplane struck a seawall located about 380 feet from the runway threshold, which resulted in the propeller separating from the propeller hub and the collapse of the landing gear.

The fuselage and both wings sustained substantial damage.

According to a Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector who interviewed the pilot after the accident, the pilot reported that the engine did not contribute to the accident.

This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA17CA138. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N18PS.