The private pilot of a Piper Cheyenne that crashed on April 12 near Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Executive Airport told tower controllers he had smoke in the cockpit moments before the accident, according to a preliminary NTSB report released this week. The pilot also called “mayday” several times before the aircraft crashed into terrain within the airport boundary, about a quarter mile from the approach end of Runway 13. The pilot and three passengers were killed in the accident. Impact forces and a post-crash fire destroyed the aircraft.

The 51-year old pilot, who held airplane single-engine, multi-engine, and instrument-airplane ratings, reported 1,221 hours' total time, according to FAA records. Additional information recovered indicated he completed a PA-31 initial training course one week before the accident.