One Dead, Pilot Hurt In Plane Crash; FBI Investigating Whether It Was Intentional

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Hartford Courant

One Dead, Pilot Hurt In Plane Crash; FBI Investigating Whether It Was Intentional

By Nicholas Rondinone, David Owens and Christine Dempsey • Contact Reporters

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subject=Regarding: "One Dead, Pilot Hurt In Plane Crash; FBI Investigating Whether It Was Intentional"

October 12, 2016, 12:09 PM | EAST HARTFORD

Federal law enforcement sources said Wednesday that the FBI is investigating whether the crash of a small plane near the Pratt & Whitney gates was an intentional act.

The crash of the twin engine aircraft Tuesday afternoon killed one person, and one other was taken to the hospital. The plane, which took off with a student and flight instructor at Hartford-Brainard Airport, crashed around 3:40 p.m. Tuesday.

A state source Wednesday morning confirmed the deceased as Feras M. Freitekh, age 28. Public record show he has lived in Orland Hills, Ill. since April of 2013. He holds a license to fly a single engine plane. Federal Aviation Administration records show he was issued a private pilot certificate on May 29, 2015.

"Nothing is being ruled out at this time, including an accident," said Lt. Josh Litwin of the East Hartford Police Department, who spoke at a press conference at the scene on Wednesday morning. He said the pilot of the plane, who is being treated at a Bridgeport hospital, is expected to survive. He is talking with investigators, Litwin said.
....

Courant staff writers Jordan Otero, Kristin Stoller, Stephen Singer, Christopher Keating, Edmund H. Mahony, Peter Marteka and Patrick Raycraft contributed to this story.

Read more: http://www.courant.com/breaking-news/hc-plane-crash-1012-20161011-story.html

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The crash occurred yesterday, but today's news is about whether the crash was intentional or not.

[George II]

1. Strange story - the person who died had a license but was described as a "student pilot".

[MicaelS]

3. Maybe going for an instrument rating.

Or a commercial rating. Either is a step up from just private pilot.

[Major Nikon]

26. PA-34 is a twin piper, so probably going for multi-commercial

[MicaelS]

31. I was hoping you would chime in.

Thanks for you info.

[Major Nikon]

35. I got my multi-commercial rating in the exact same model

It's kind of a shame a dumass had to take out a perfectly good aircraft. They are great trainers.

[MicaelS]

36. How do the propellers rotate? n/t

[Major Nikon]

37. The original PA-34 has counter-rotating props

I'm not sure about the later turbocharged models as I have no time in them and they have different engines. Counter-rotating props are quite nice in a multi-trainer as it saves you the trouble of having a critical engine, and it makes the aircraft a little safer all other things being equal.

[MicaelS]

38. Thanks n/t

[Brother Buzz]

4. Single engine pilot, twin engine student

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. Going from single-engine to multi-engine?

"He holds a license to fly a single engine plane."

[ailsagirl]

2. Meaning the pilot could have intentionally crashed the plane?

[cstanleytech]

5. Or they could have simply screwed up.

It happens all the time on the roads with drivers, someone screws up and next thing you know you hear a load crashing sound.

[ailsagirl]

21. it's odd in the story it mentions that it might be "intentional"

Usually small plane crashes don't say anything of the kind-- at least in initial reports.

Wonder what it was that caused suspicion

[cstanleytech]

22. They are probably investigating it a bit more because

Pratt & Whitney make some aircraft engines for the military.

[ailsagirl]

23. Ah-- that makes sense

We'll be hearing more, no doubt

[KatyaR]

40. The survivor said that, while they were in the air, the student said

that he was being forced to learn to fly.

This was from a CNN article earlier today.

[brooklynite]

7. Other reporting indicates that an argument was occurring in the cockpit

[groundloop]

8. Any links? That sounds like a stretch, unless one of them had keyed the comm radio.

[brooklynite]

11. Here

Williams, citing a senior federal law enforcement official, reports investigators interviewed the survivor of the crash, who is a flight instructor, and he told them that the student pilot was at the controls at the time of the crash.

There was some kind of argument or struggle for the controls, and the plane crashed, but the instructor does not know why it happened, Williams reports.

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Aircraft-Crashes-in-East-Hartford-396698621.html

[groundloop]

20. OK.... Instructor survived and told authorities the student was arguing/fighting

Last edited Wed Oct 12, 2016, 07:02 PM - Edit history (1)

That part makes sense now, I'd originally gotten the impression there were no survivors.

This is the fear I always had in the back of my mind when I was flight instructing, if I had someone with me who was bound and determined to do himself in there wasn't going to be much I could do about it.

Still, it doesn't make sense for this student pilot to target a particular facility when he had an instructor along. He was licensed to fly single-engine aircraft, it would have made much more sense for him to rent a plane he could fly alone. I guess we'll have to wait and see what other information turns up.

[Major Nikon]

27. A couple of my instructors were pretty convinced I was trying to kill them

They survived, but not for lack of effort on my part.

[LisaM]

9. The fact that little planes are allowed to fly about, seemingly at will, terrifies me.

I cringe every time I see one, and I'm furious every time one crashes where there are people and houses.

[Blue_Tires]

12. Why?

Hundreds of thousands have probably flown over your residential neighborhood without incident...

And how are people supposed to learn how to fly?

[LisaM]

14. Why do they need to?

I think that illustrates the disconnect. I see no real reason for people to need to be able to fly around.

I've also seen photos of accidents on streets and in neighborhoods.

[MicaelS]

15. How do you expect people

To learn to fly commercial airliners? You start small and work your way up to bigger aircraft. You just don't jump into an airliner and take off.

The disconnect is entirely yours. Just because YOU don't see a need, means little of nothing.

Just wait until flying cars or personal air vehicles like the Puffin finally hit the market, you'll be hiding in your basement.



http://www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/features/puffin.html

[LisaM]

16. I thought you meant personal aircraft.

Obviously pilots need to be trained, but I just don't see the need for people to fly as a hobby. The less, the better.

This whole concept of drones is really bothering me. Who thought it was okay for packages to drop from the sky?

[MicaelS]

19. Your fears are unfounded.

General aviation is safe. You have to pass a flight physical to obtain and maintain your license. Light aircraft are very expensive to own and operate.

Drones are entirely different, and I agree there needs to be tight regulation, but drones are already here and the clock won't be turned back.


And I edited my first post. I meant personal air vehicles like NASA's Puffin.


http://www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/features/puffin.html

[Major Nikon]

28. Why do you need to drive a car?

They kill millions all over the world and absolutely aren't necessary.

[LisaM]

41. I limit that as much as I can....

I'm a bus commuter and walker for the most part.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

43. A bus or a car could jump the curb and run you over.

A drunk driver could hit you in a crosswalk. These things happen far more often than aircraft accidents.

[LisaM]

44. Whatever!

At least I'm looking for it!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

29. I've been a flight instructor for many years.

Flying is quite safe - I worry more about the drive to the airport. Most general aviation accidents are, in fact, non-fatal fender-benders that either occur on the ground or involve a forced landing in a field. About 40,000 people are killed in car accidents every year, and some of those accidents kill innocent passengers or pedestrians. Why not worry about them? General aviation is also an industry that contributes enormously to the economies of many rural communities - there are some places, particularly in Alaska, that rely entirely on airplanes to get around. And where do you think trained airline pilots come from? Some of my former students are now flying for major airlines; they had to start somewhere.

Also, those airplanes don't fly around "at will" unless they are in remote areas. There are regulations about where you can and can't fly, required altitudes, contact with air traffic control, the direction you can fly depending on your altitude. If you are near a large city or coming or going from a controlled airport you have to go exactly where the air traffic controllers tell you (they will identify you on radar).

The reason these accidents make the news is because they are, in fact, pretty rare.

[Major Nikon]

32. An airport is as important as a freeway on-ramp to most areas of the US

It means businesses both large and small can operate in remote areas with relatively fast access to anywhere else. Without general aviation, lots of rural areas would dry up completely or at the very least have far fewer jobs because lots of industry would be located solely in large cities.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

33. Exactly!

[sailfla]

39. You are exactly right fellow instructor

[sailfla]

34. Lisa, I get the same feeling when a car drives by

[Historic NY]

10. More news on student.....

http://heavy.com/news/2016/10/feras-freitekh-jordanian-jordan-student-pilot-east-hartford-plane-crash-intentional-fbi-terrorism-photos-facebook-pratt-whitney/

[Blue_Tires]

13. I don't get it -- How much damage could he really do with a PA-34?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

17. Does Pratt & Whitney have a fuel depot at that facility?

Last edited Wed Oct 12, 2016, 03:56 PM - Edit history (1)

Is this one of the facilities were the jet engines are manufactured? If so, the engines are surely subjected to a test run upon completion. A supply of jet fuel would be required.

Dropping into a storage tank, even a small one, would make the headlines.

[Blue_Tires]

18. And the choice of target is also odd...

If this is a terrorist, why wouldn't he select a place where missiles or whatever are made, or a target guaranteed to have a large civilian gathering?

[Major Nikon]

24. How much damage could you do with four 25gal cans of gasoline?

[Major Nikon]

25. I tried to kill my multi instructor, but I wasn't as serious about it

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

30. Some of my students tried to kill me, but their efforts seemed half-hearted.

[7962]

42. CBS reported tonight it was intentional by the student. Instructor survived

Jordanian student wanted to commit suicide