HARTFORD — Federal authorities from the Department of Transportation were on the scene of a flight school that owned planes involved in two fatal plane crashes that happened four months apart.
Government agents were at the offices of American Flight School at Brainard Field on Thursday afternoon.
Connecticut State Police spokesperson Tpr. Kelly Grant said they assisted federal Department of Transportation officials in their investigation at the American Flight Academy today.
“There are no indications of what was being investigated or why.”
Instructors from the school were with students at the time of both crashes.
On October 11, 2016, a small plane crashed on Main Street in East Hartford. Feras Freitekh, the student pilot, was killed and Arian Prevalla, the flight instructor, was injured. The NTSB announced their initial investigation into the crash “indicates the crash is the result of an intentional act.”
On February 22, student pilot Pablo Campos, 31, of East Haven, died in the crashed near Tweed-New Haven airport. The flight instructor, Rafayel Hany Wassef, 20, of New London, was critically injured. The NTSB said the pilot of the plane had been practicing landings and take offs, called “touch and go’s.” The student pilot and instructor had successfully performed three touch and go’s and on the last one declared a Mayday to the tower.
