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:

A fatal Piper PA-28 crash involving a flight instructor and student pilot occurred during a night VFR flight when the aircraft flew into a severe thunderstorm near Whitesville, Kentucky.
The flight instructor, Timothy McKellar Jr., posted multiple demeaning comments about his student and acknowledged approaching storms via social media posts during the flight but continued into adverse weather.
Despite ATC warnings and a last-minute request for IFR clearance, the aircraft encountered extreme turbulence, leading to a loss of control and an in-flight breakup, with wreckage dispersed over a wide area.

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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.