FBI investigates fatal plane crash on busy Connecticut road

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – The FBI and other agencies on Wednesday were investigating a plane crash on a busy road near the headquarters of Pratt & Whitney that killed one person, authorities said.

Authorities say a student pilot and an instructor were trying to land the Piper PA-34 Seneca at Brainard Airport in Hartford when it struck a utility pole in East Hartford and crashed onto the road at around 4 p.m. Tuesday, bursting into flames.

The police chief in East Hartford has asked the FBI to assist in the investigation because it happened so close to Pratt & Whitney, a manufacturer of jet engines for military and civilian planes.

“The path that the plane took could have been much worse. So we’re very fortunate in that sense,” Chief Scott Sansom said.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are also involved in the investigation.

Police say the pilot was hospitalized with serious burns but was talking with investigators. The passenger was in the wreckage and presumed dead. Police haven’t released names.

Two people in a minivan that came close to colliding with the plane were taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

Authorities urged people to avoid the area as investigators continued their work.

“This is a very complex investigation with a lot of different agencies and a lot of different moving parts,” fire Chief John Oates said.