NTSB Preliminary Report on Kentucky Fatal Crash Released

The NTSB has released its preliminary findings on the fatal crash of a Piper PA-28-161 near Whitesville, Kentucky, in September involving a flight instructor and private pilot candidate on a night flight.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, October 18, 2023 at 03:42 PM ET

Verified

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) preliminary accident report, the aircraft flew through "heavy to extreme precipitation." [Courtesy: NTSB]

Key Takeaways:

The NTSB's preliminary report on a fatal night flight crash in Kentucky reveals the aircraft, carrying a flight instructor and student, flew into a severe thunderstorm.
The flight instructor made several social media posts during the flight, including demeaning comments about the student and an image acknowledging "angry hornets" (approaching storms).
Despite being aware of and visually documenting the severe weather, the flight continued into the storm, experiencing extreme turbulence.
The aircraft broke up in flight, scattering wreckage over 25 acres, with the NTSB finding no pre-accident mechanical anomalies that would have prevented normal operation.

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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary findings on the fatal crash of a Piper PA-28-161 near Whitesville, Kentucky, in September involving a flight instructor and private pilot candidate on a night flight.

According to the report, the pair flew into a thunderstorm. The event has received national attention because the CFI, Timothy McKellar Jr., 22, made several social media posts during the flight that included demeaning comments about the learner, Connor Quisenberry, 18. McKellar also posted an image of approaching thunderstorms along the route of flight. McKellar acknowledged the storms and the flight continued.