Investigators probing a fatal Piper Seneca crash in East Hartford, Connecticut, Tuesday afternoon suspect it was a suicide act by the student pilot who was killed. News outlets reported the twin aircraft came from a flight school at Hartford’s Brainard airport and was on approach to the field when it smashed into a utility pole about 3:30 p.m. on a busy street and ignited a fire, knocking out power to the area. Connecticut news media reported Wednesday thatArian Prevalla, the owner of American Flight Academy, was instructing in the aircraft and survived the crash.The Hartford Courant reported that Prevalla attempted to take the controls when the student,Feras M. Freitekh, 28, began flying erratically.
Freitekhwas emotionally distraught from his poor progress at the flight school, the Courant reported.“Unfortunately, this looks, at this point, like an individual who wanted to end his life and used this event to do it,” an official told the newspaper.Because the crash occurred near Pratt & Whitney’s headquarters and engine plant, local officials had immediately notified the FBI along with the FAA and NTSB. The FBI is searchingFreitekh’s Chicago-suburb apartment and personal belongings and investigators found nothing suspicious, The Courant reported.
