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One Person Dead, One Critically Injured After East Haven Plane Crash

Town of East Haven
A single-engine aircraft crashed near Tweed New Haven Airport

One man is dead and another has been critically injured following a single-engine plane crash near Tweed New Haven airport.

The two-seater Tomahawk from the Connecticut Flight Academy went down on Wednesday, shortly before 10:00 am according to East Haven Mayor Joe Maturo.

"The plane had just taken off from Tweed airport and reported a mayday," Maturo said. "Turning around, it fell from the sky."

Police said 31-year old Pablo Campos Isona of East Haven died at the scene. He was identified as the student. The flight instructor, 20-year-old Rafayel Hany Wassef of New London, remains in critical condition. 

Airport officials said the plane was on a routine training exercise when it crashed into marshland near the runway in East Haven. Maturo said it took about 15 minutes to locate the plane, which was difficult to access due to the high grass and water.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause.

In October, another plane owned by the same flight school crashed near a Hartford airport killing a flight student.

Lori Connecticut Public's Morning Edition host.

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