On September 12, 1980, a Beechcraft 65 Queen Air (registration N625GP) operated by John Matthews was involved in an aviation accident near Saint Petersburg-Clearwater, United States of America during landing or approach. 6 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft entered a stall and spin because the pilot failed to maintain the necessary flying speed. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
A single-engine aircraft crashed during its approach to St Petersburg-Clearwater Airport, resulting in the deaths of all six people on board.
What happened
During an approach to the St Petersburg-Clearwater Airport, an aircraft was operating within the airport traffic pattern. While maneuvering, the pilot lost control of the plane, which subsequently entered a stall and transitioned into a spin. The aircraft crashed during this sequence of events.
There were six fatalities recorded in the accident, with no survivors among the occupants.
Findings
Official investigations determined that the crash was caused by an aerodynamic stall resulting from the pilot's failure to preserve sufficient airspeed. A significant contributing factor was the pilot's lack of experience with this specific aircraft model, as they had zero hours of flight time on type prior to the accident.
Probable cause
The aircraft entered a stall and spin because the pilot failed to maintain the necessary flying speed.