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F.B.I. Takes Over Investigation Into Fatal Plane Crash in Connecticut Survivor of Connecticut Plane Crash Tells of Argument in Cockpit
(about 5 hours later)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has taken over the investigation into the crash of a small plane in Connecticut on Tuesday afternoon, looking into the possibility that the aircraft was deliberately downed by one of the two people on board, according to the authorities. In the moments before a Piper PA-34 Seneca twin-engine plane plunged into a street in a suburban Connecticut town, tearing through power lines and narrowly avoiding people on the ground, the two men on board had a heated exchange, law enforcement officials said on Wednesday.
In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, the National Transportation Safety Board said its initial investigation determined that the crash in East Hartford was the result of an intentional act. Only one of the men, Arian Prevalla, a flight instructor, survived the crash on Tuesday, crawling from the wreckage, badly burned and bruised, just before the aircraft burst into flames on Main Street in East Hartford.
Lt. John Litwin of the East Hartford Police told reporters earlier on Wednesday that he would not comment on specific details of the investigation, but confirmed that the F.B.I. was leading the inquiry. His account of what took place in the those final moments has led investigators to believe that the aircraft was intentionally driven into the ground — although the motive remains unclear.
“Although you can see the investigation is extremely active, it is still in its infancy,” Lieutenant Litwin said. “Nothing has been ruled out, including an accident.” The crash took place near the gates of one of the world’s largest manufacturers of jet engines, Pratt & Whitney, so federal agents were called to the scene as a matter of course. When Mr. Prevalla told investigators the crash was not an accident, the Federal Bureau of Investigation took over the case.
He said two people were on board the Piper PA-34 Seneca twin-engine plane at the time of the crash, although it is unclear who was at the controls. A federal law enforcement official briefed on the case said that there was no evidence of international terrorism, or that the crash was politically motivated.
The plane is equipped with two set of controls, so at any given point, either person could have been piloting the aircraft, Lieutenant Litwin said. Given the nature of the argument in the cockpit, investigators are looking into whether the instructor’s student had mental health problems and was trying to commit suicide, law enforcement officials said.
One person aboard was killed in the crash; he was identified as Feras M. Freitekh, 28, a Jordanian national. The other person escaped from the burning wreckage and is now at a hospital in Bridgeport being treated for his wounds, which were described as serious but not life-threatening. The student, Fera M. Freitekh, 28, was a Jordanian national of Palestinian descent who came to the United States several years ago to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a pilot, according to his cousin Abdul-Rahman Freitekh.
Lieutenant Litwin said that the survivor had been able to speak to investigators but would not comment on what he might have told them. A Facebook page that appears to belong to Mr. Freitekh features several videos of him flying over Niagara Falls and making landings. In one picture, he is kissing the nose of a plane. It also includes a video display of a July 4 fireworks celebration, with Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” playing in the background.
Four law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation told The New York Times on Tuesday that the survivor had said that the crash was not an accident. Mr. Prevalla, speaking to investigators from his hospital bed, where he was recovering on Wednesday, outlined an argument the two had had in the cockpit in the moments before the crash. The details of that confrontation are what led law enforcement officials to believe it was a suicide and not something more sinister.
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was continuing. The plane, used for training, was equipped with two sets of controls, one for the instructor and the student. In his statement to investigators, Mr. Prevalla said the arguing occurred as they made a final approach to Runway 20 at Hartford-Brainard Airport.
Public records show Mr. Freitekh had lived in Orland Hills, Ill., about 35 miles southwest of Chicago. Federal Aviation Administration records show he was issued a private pilot certificate on May 29, 2015, and was certified to fly a single-engine plane. Mr. Freitekh was coming in for a landing when he told the instructor that “something’s a little off here,” a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation said. Mr. Prevalla, according to the official, “says, ‘Let me take over.’ And the kid comes in for a second time for a landing, or he doesn’t let him take over.”
Adding to the possible urgency of the investigation is the location of the crash, near a campus for the jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney. Mr. Prevalla was becoming increasingly anxious, and as they made a second approach, he told Mr. Freitekh, “I’m taking over,” according to the official.
The company employs about 34,000 people around the world and makes engines for more than 25 percent of the world’s mainline passenger fleet. But apparently before the instructor could get control, Mr. Freitekh sent the plane into a nose-dive onto Main Street.
“It does not appear at this time that any Pratt & Whitney employees or contractors were involved,” the company said in a statement issued late Tuesday. “Additionally, there is no impact to our operation here in East Hartford other than restricted traffic flow to the facility’s main entrance on Main Street. We stand ready to assist local officials as needed.” Looking at the wreckage, which remained scattered on the street on Wednesday, it was hard to see how anyone was able to escape.
On Wednesday morning, the burned wreckage from the plane remained at the crash site as local, state and federal investigators sifted through the debris. The plane crashed around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, tearing through telephone wires and power lines as it barreled toward the busy street. It burst into flames only yards from a minivan with several passengers, narrowly missing the vehicle and people on the ground.
Lieutenant Litwin said that given the time and location of the crash, there were many witnesses who saw the plane as it tore through telephone wires and then exploded upon impact, sending up plumes of smoke. Lt. Josh Litwin of the East Hartford Police Department, speaking to reporters on Wednesday, said, “The fact that there were not more casualties is pretty amazing.”
The plane narrowly missed striking a minivan on the road, and Lieutenant Litwin said, “The fact that there were not more casualties is pretty amazing.” Mr. Freitekh’s cousin, who was interviewed in Jordan, said Mr. Freitekh first came to the United States three years ago to study flying. When he was not able to take his final exam for financial reasons, he returned to Jordan to make money selling video games online and working at a clothing store, according to the cousin.
After six or seven months, Mr. Freitekh was able save enough money to return to the United States and resume his pilot lessons, eventually enrolling at the American Flight Academy in Hartford.
Public records show Mr. Freitekh had lived in Orland Hills, Ill., near Chicago, before moving to Connecticut. Records with the Federal Aviation Administration show he was issued a private pilot certificate on May 29, 2015, and was certified to fly a single-engine plane. His cousin said he aspired to fly twin-engine planes.
Mr. Freitekh’s mother lives in a middle-class neighborhood in the Jordanian capital, Amman. His father, who remains married to his mother, came to the United States about a decade ago for financial reasons.
His cousin said that Mr. Freitekh “was not religious at all.”
“He did not pray,” the cousin continued. “Religion was not an issue.”
Investigators said Mr. Freitekh was most recently living with several roommates in an East Hartford apartment building.
A neighbor, Wanda Sanchez, said Mr. Freitekh had shared with her in casual conversation that all five residents of the apartment were studying at the flight school.
“They were quiet, peaceful,” Ms. Sanchez said. “They were always home. They told us they were trying to be pilots.”