In a rare incident , which is being seen as a vengeful act, a 23-year-old flight school student is facing charges after being accused of sabotaging 10 aircraft at a Florida airport flying school , after he was denied a solo flight.
The incident took shape at the Treasure Coast Flight School, an international piloting school at Whitham Field Airport in Stuart, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Stuart is about 100 miles north of Miami.
The student “became angry after school instructors would not allow him to take a solo flight,” the sheriff’s office said.
“School officials called the sheriff’s office when they said they saw (the student) on video going from plane to plane causing damage to each of the aircraft. Items such as a plane’s throttle was damaged.”
Ten aircraft at the school remain grounded while mechanics determine the extent of damage, the sheriff’s office said. Some of the damage they think he may have done and would maybe not have been detected, until they were airborne, would’ve impacted their ability to land.
Martin County Sheriff’s Deputies have arrested a flight school student after he vandalized a number of airplanes at Treasure Coast Flight School located at Witham Field Airport in Stuart.
23-year old Sumebh Singh, a student from India, became angry after school flight instructors would not allow him to take a solo flight. School officials called the Sheriff's Office when they said they saw Singh on video going from plane to plane causing damage to each of the aircraft. Items such as a plane’s throttle was damaged.
A total of 10 aircraft have been affected. The planes are grounded until mechanics can determined what damage was caused to each of the planes.
Singh was arrested at Witham Field and charged with felony criminal mischief. Additional charges are possible. We will update this as information becomes available.
Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said
“something terrible could’ve happened” had the damage to planes not been discovered prior to take off, according to station WPEC. “Some of the damage ... would’ve impacted their ability to land,” Snyder told the station.
The student, who is visiting the United States, was arrested at Whitman Field and was “charged with felony criminal mischief.”
“Additional charges are possible,” the sheriff’s office said.
The owner of the company estimated the cost of the damages totaling $1,200 each or a total of $12,000.
The arrest report says, Singh is being held without bond since he is in America on a work visa with a passport from India. Also, Singh has knowledge of flying and easy access of planes and possibly fleeing the country.
