NTSB Blames CFI for Deadly Crash

Agency determines the instructor was aware of thunderstorms before takeoff with student pilot in 2023 Kentucky flight.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, September 05, 2025 at 10:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

NTSB’s final report on the 2023 fatal crash in Kentucky says the CFI was aware of thunderstorms in the area before the deadly flight. [Credit: NTSB]

Key Takeaways:

The NTSB concluded the deadly 2023 Piper PA-28-161 crash was caused by an in-flight breakup after the flight instructor improperly decided to continue flying into an area of severe thunderstorms.
The flight instructor, Timothy McKellar Jr., exhibited unprofessional conduct, documenting the flight with demeaning Snapchat comments aimed at student pilot Connor Quisenberry, who was on his first flight with McKellar.
McKellar was aware of convective weather warnings before and during the flight but likely misjudged the latency of his mobile-device-based weather radar information, leading the aircraft into hazardous conditions.

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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says the deadly crash of the Piper PA-28-161 in Kentucky in 2023 was caused by an in-flight breakup after the aircraft entered an area of severe thunderstorms during a night flight.

The event caught the attention of the aviation community because the flight instructor, Timothy McKellar Jr., 22, documented the events of the flight using Snapchat, which included a series of demeaning comments aimed at Connor Quisenberry, 18, the private pilot candidate.