A flight instructor and student were killed when their small, single-engine plane crashed between Bowling Green and Owensboro last week. Investigators say a severe thunderstorm was in the area at the time. Sean Howard is the chief flight instructor at Eastern Kentucky University’s Aviation program. He said there are some things pilots just shouldn’t do.
“You absolutely do not fly into thunderstorms. And that's what we are taught. And that's what we teach. That is disastrous. So you know, you just don't do that.”
Howard said EKU students are taught to stay at least 20 miles away from such weather, which can tear apart planes of all sizes. He said they’re also taught it’s quite normal to feel quite nervous at first.
“There are certain strategies and, and things that we go through to mitigate their anxiety, you know, reassuring them that they're, they're going to be safe and, and that they have nothing to worry about.”
Howard said about 235 students are enrolled in the pilot portion of EKU’s 4-year Aviation program. The western Kentucky plane crash is under investigation by state police, federal agencies and the Ohio County coroner
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