Plane Crash Was Intentional Might Have been Heading Towards Pentagon Contractor
A small plane that crashed in Connecticut was brought down by an "intentional act," federal authorities said Wednesday after conducting an initial investigation.
The student pilot flying the Piper PA-34 Seneca struck a utility pole and wires Tuesday afternoon, knocking out power to an East Hartford neighborhood and causing a fire to engulf the aircraft, witnesses told the Hartford Courant.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was transferring its investigation to the FBI.
The unnamed student pilot died at the scene, officials said, while the flight instructor — later identified as American Flight Academy owner Arian Prevalla — was rushed to the hospital for burns.
Image: Smoke pours from the smoldering remains of a small plane
Smoke pours from the smoldering remains of a small plane that crashed on Main Street in East Hartford, Connecticut on Tuesday. Jim Michaud / Journal Inquirer via AP
A Bridgeport Hospital spokesman told NBC News that Prevalla remained in critical condition Wednesday.
The plane crashed near the offices of defense contractor and jet engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, and was part of a nearby flight school, police told NBC Connecticut.
There was no immediate evidence the incident was linked to terrorism, a senior federal law enforcement official told NBC News.
Authorities were able to interview the flight instructor, who said the student pilot was at the helm at the time of the incident, the federal official said. There was an argument or struggle at the controls, which led to the crash, the official added.
Authorities searched the student pilot's Hartford-area home, but did not find anything to indicate terrorism, according to the official. The FBI plans to seek a search warrant for any of the student pilot's electronic devices.
In a statement to NBC Connecticut, Hartford's Deputy Chief Brian Foley confirmed there was an ongoing investigation at a nearby apartment complex near where the plane went down.
"We want to ensure our residents they are not in danger," Foley said.
East Hartford police Lt. Josh Litwin would not confirm the identities of the two people on board or their relationship, telling reporters Wednesday the investigation was "extremely active" and "still in its infancy."
"Nothing has been ruled out, including an accident," he said, adding that the FBI had been contacted.
He added that the twin-engine aircraft actually had two sets of controls, but would not confirm who was flying. The instructor was expected to survive, Litwin said.
Pratt & Whitney workers, who left their jobs Tuesday to see the smoldering wreckage, returned to their morning shifts Wednesday and said they were still shaken.
"I saw the plane going low," Gregory Bell recounted to the Courant. "It was too low."
By the time he got down to the street, Bell said, he heard the crash.
Pratt & Whitney added that its employees or contractors were not involved in the incident.
“We stand ready to assist local officials as needed," the company said in a statement.
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