Owner Tells FAA He Plans To Relocate To Another State

A flight school that has been connected with two fatal accidents has closed its second location in Connecticut, but plans to reopen elsewhere.

American Flight Academy terminated its lease at Brainard Airport in Hartford, CT effective Thursday, according to television station WVIT. The flight school previously closed its East Haven office, according to the report.

The flight school is owned by Arian Prevalla, who last October survived an accident in which he said he struggled for control of the airplane student Feras Freitekh. The plane went down near a Pratt & Whitney facility that sparked a federal investigation to determine if terrorism was involved. Officials said early in the investigation that it appeared the incident was an intentional act, and documents were seized from the school's office at Brainard airport.

One of the school's aircraft was also involved in an accident in February at Tweed-New Haven Airport that fatally injured one of the two people on board.

In notifying the FAA of his intention to close the Hartford office, Prevalla said that he intends to reopen "in another state," but gave no further details.

FMI: Original Report