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 determined the 2023 Kentucky Piper PA-28 crash was caused by an in-flight breakup after the aircraft entered severe thunderstorms during a night flight.
The flight instructor, who was the pilot in command, documented the flight on Snapchat with demeaning comments towards the student and despite receiving weather briefings warning of convective activity, continued into the hazardous conditions.
The instructor likely misjudged the real-time weather, relying on outdated radar information, and continued the flight even after being warned by ATC about heavy precipitation.
The probable cause was the flight instructor’s improper decision to continue the flight into a known area of thunderstorms, resulting in the aircraft's structural failure and the deaths of both occupants.

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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.