FAA releases preliminary report in Vero Beach plane crash

A small plane crashed last week because it collided with trees, according to a preliminary report released today by the Federal Aviation Administration.

A student pilot and teacher crashed a Piper PA-34-200T, N103GK about one mile from the Vero Beach Municipal Airport at about 2:30 p.m. March 5.

The instructor and student suffered serious injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage.

The lesson lasted about an hour, according to the report, and the plane had been topped off with 51 gallons of fuel just prior to the flight.

The FAA investigation determined the airplane crashed into two large trees about one mile short of the airport. The student pilot was practicing a simulated left engine failure while on approach, when the airplane collided with the trees.