Student-pilot, instructor were practicing emergency procedures before fatal crash: NTSB

Kinsey Crowley, Will Greenlee and Corey Arwood, USA TODAY NETWORK
Updated ·2 min read
245

Clarification: An earlier version of this story misstated the number of flights the student-pilot and instructor had taken in the plane on March 30.

A flight instructor and her student were practicing emergency procedures before they declared a real emergency and the plane crashed, killing the instructor and seriously injuring the student, officials said.

The pilot was practicing shutting down one engine in the multi-engine plane, according to a preliminary report released Friday from the National Transportation Safety Board about the March 30 plane crash at the Treasure Coast International Airport in Fort Pierce, Florida.

The student was headed towards landing with the right engine of the Piper PA-44 aircraft idling, before executing a missed approach. But the report states when he pressed on the throttles, neither engine had thrust.

The instructor took over, declared an emergency and attempted to land. But the plane stalled and tumbled to the ground, the report states. The instructor, identified as Valentina Guillen, 22, of Argentina, was pronounced dead at the scene. The student is a 19-year-old who was seriously injured.

Deadly month in aviation: Look back at 8 plane crashes across Florida in February

One person died and another was taken to a hospital following a March 30, 2024, plane crash at Treasure Coast International Airport in St. Lucie County. The person who died was identified as Valentina Guillen, a 22-year-old flight instructor.
One person died and another was taken to a hospital following a March 30, 2024, plane crash at Treasure Coast International Airport in St. Lucie County. The person who died was identified as Valentina Guillen, a 22-year-old flight instructor.

Witness said the plane nosedived, passengers stuck inside

St. Lucie County Fire District officials and the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene.

“A witness to the incident, advised the aircraft was making its approach to the runway, when the aircraft suddenly fell from the sky, causing the aircraft to nosedive into the runway,” a report from the Sheriff's office states.

Officials also said two people were trapped inside, and firefighters had to use equipment to get them out. The surviving passenger was transported to a local hospital and expected to make a full recovery.

The student and instructor were training at Aviator College, where director of academic affairs Roxanne Palmer previously told TCPalm, part of the USA TODAY Network, that they went up in the aircraft's second flight of the day.

The report states the plane was inspected the day before the accident.

Palmer declined to add further comment until a final NTSB report is published.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fatal Aviator College plane crash in Fort Pierce came during training