A small plane crash in Connecticut that killed Jordanian national, Feras Freitekh, and injured another man in was “an intentional act,” the NTSB announced in a statement Wednesday. The FBI will now take the lead in the investigation.
A man who survived the crash, which occurred Tuesday afternoon, told investigators the wreck was not an accident. That man was in critical condition at a local Hospital, but was able to speak to detectives.
|
Advertisement |
The Hartford Courant reported a student pilot and his instructor were arguing before the crash, with the student saying he no longer wanted to fly the plane. An initial search of the apartment where the student was staying found no signs of terrorism, the newspaper added. The crash of the twin-engine Piper PA-34 Seneca killed only the passenger. The New York Times and the Courant identified that man as 28-year-old Feras Freitekh. Freitekh entered the U.S. in 2012 on an M1 visa for flight school and at some point he also acquired an F1 visa for language school, CBS News reported. Freitekh was issued a pilot’s license in May 2015 and was certified to fly a single-engine plane. h/t foxnews
The crash occurred close to jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney’s corporate headquarters. Police Chief Scott Sansom called the company “critical infrastructure.”
“Pratt & Whitney is assisting authorities as needed. We are unable to comment further since this is an active investigation,” the company announced in a statement Tuesday.