The Latest: Flight school denies claims in students’ lawsuit

HARTFORD, Conn. – The Latest on students suing a Connecticut flight school under investigation after two fatal plane crashes in five months (all times local):

1:05 p.m.

A Connecticut flight school under investigation after two fatal plane crashes is denying allegations by international students who say they are being forced to return to their home countries without finishing the training that they paid tens of thousands of dollars for.

The Hartford-based American Flight Academy released a statement Thursday denying allegations in a lawsuit filed by three students.

The students say they paid $28,000 to $39,000 apiece for commercial pilot training but were far short of the required training hours when the Hartford-based school closed abruptly in April. Two of the students also allege the school cancelled their student visas and they’re being forced to return home Sunday.

The three are from Turkmenistan, Peru and Ecuador.

The two crashes in October and February remain under investigation by federal authorities.

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11:34 a.m.

International students at a Connecticut flight school that closed after two fatal plane crashes say they’re out thousands of dollars and are being forced to return to their home countries because their student visas were cancelled.

Three students are suing the American Flight Academy. They say they paid $28,000 to $39,000 apiece for commercial pilot training but were far short of the required training hours when the Hartford-based school closed abruptly in April.

The three are from Turkmenistan, Peru and Ecuador.

School owner Arian Prevalla has not returned messages seeking comment. The school’s lawyer declined to comment Thursday.

Authorities are investigating the two crashes. A student was killed and Prevalla survived a wreck in East Hartford in October. Prevalla told authorities the student crashed the plane on purpose. Another student was killed in a crash in East Haven in February.