FBI Probing Small Plane Crash that Killed Orland Hills Man

The FBI is investigating a small plane crash in Connecticut that claimed the life of a 28-year-old Orland Hills man.

Feras M. Freitekh was a passenger aboard the Piper PA-34 Seneca that plummeted to the ground in East Hartford on Tuesday afternoon — a crash the pilot intimates "was not an accident," according to the New York Times. Freitekh had been a resident of Orland Hills since April of 2013, the Hartford Courant reports. He was issued a private pilot certificate on May 29, 2015.

East Hartford Fire Chief John Oates said the pilot "had significant injuries," while the Times reported he had been transported to Bridgeport Hospital for treatment of "serious burns."

The plane was reportedly en route to landing at nearby Brainard Airport in Hartford at the time of the crash.

The proximity of the crash to Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, a major aerospace manufacturer for both military and civil aircraft, prompted East Hartford Police Chief Scott Sansom to call in the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration were on scene Tuesday, and representatives of the National Transportation Safety Board joined them Wednesday morning.

Originally Reported by Tim Jensen (Patch Staff)

Photo captured from YouTube video