LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) --
Students from Indonesia met with federal officials in Long Beach Thursday about a possible flight school scam and potential security threat.
The students met with a representative from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Homeland Security to see if any crime has been committed by the school that could threaten national security. The meeting at the FAA office in Long Beach was set up because there are very rigorous requirements for flight schools that accept foreign students. Federal officials are concerned about the school's operator.
The students say they are caught in the middle of a mess.
Two dozen students signed up in Indonesia for a six-month course with an operation called Accessible Aviation International in Long Beach, as well as California Flight Center, to become pilots.
On Thursday, Eyewitness News found the offices of the flight school empty, with a pricy flight simulator left behind. The owner of the building said the school's operator, Mac Patel, left, unable to pay any more rent.
The students say they have been scammed, and worse.
"We don't know how to get help in this foreign country," said Jackie Maryline, one of the students.
Their individual fees they paid for housing, insurance and instruction are expensive.
"Close to $55,000, some is only $28,000, some is about $38,000, but it is a lot of money for us," said Maryline.
Owner Mac Patel told Eyewitness News by phone that he is offering a partial refund. Students say Patel is not communicating with them.
"I have been emailing them and calling them that we want to have a meeting with me and the rest of the students, and there's no news from them," said Maryline.
The students describe troubles that began just after a plane crash in Agua Dulce in June. A student was a passenger getting a lesson in the plane. The student, Feranita Gusnaidy, survived and was transported to the Henry Mayo hospital. Thursday, she told Eyewitness News the school was supposed to provide insurance, but didn't.
"I had broken skin on my forehead, fractured ribs and broken leg and broken jaws," said Gusnaidy. "But the owner said 'If you want us to take care of the insurance, just talk to my lawyer.'"
They worry about eviction from their student housing next. They have notices from a downtown L.A. complex that rent is due.
Then there's the question of their student visa status: If their school no longer exists, will they have to leave the country with no resolution?
Federal officials are looking into whether the operator has committed any violations of the law. The students say they feel better after the meeting but their future is still very uncertain.
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http://registry.faa.gov/N4606L
NTSB Identification: WPR14LA257
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, June 20, 2014 in Agua Dulce, CA
Aircraft: CESSNA 152, registration: N4606L
Injuries: 2 Serious.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On June 20, 2014, about 1430 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 152 airplane, N4606L, sustained substantial damage during takeoff initial climb, while departing Agua Dulce Airport (L70), Agua Dulce, California. The airplane was registered to FLITESERV LLC., Long Beach, California, and operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal cross-country flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and both the private pilot and pilot-rated passenger received serious injuries. The flight departed Long Beach Airport (KLGB), Long Beach, California, about 1245.
During a telephone interview with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on June 26, the owner of the airplane said that the pilot and passenger were both pilot rated students of a CFR Part 141 flight school, working on advanced ratings. The pilot had rented the airplane to make a cross-country flight. When queried about their destination, the pilot reported Agua Dulce Airport. The owner explained that Agua Dulce Airport did not meet the distance requirement for the advanced rating, and suggested that they overfly Agua Dulce Airport, and continue to General William J Fox Field (KWJF), Lancaster, California, which would meet the distance requirement.
On June 20, the pilot was interviewed by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air safety inspector following the accident. The pilot reported that he had elected to land at the Agua Dulce Airport, and depart on runway 04. The FAA Airport Facility Directory indicates that runway 04 has a 1.9% uphill slope. The terrain off the end of runway 04 is rising.
During the takeoff roll, the pilot said he didn't think the airplane was accelerating fast enough, and he pulled the power to abort the takeoff. At that point, he said the pilot-rated passenger took the controls, applied full power, and continued the takeoff. The airplane was climbing slowly, but the stall warning horn was sounding, and he thought the pilot-rated passenger was going to stall the airplane. He said he resumed control, and pushed the nose of the airplane down to increase the airspeed. The main landing gear contacted high-voltage power lines crossing their path, and the airplane descended impacting the terrain.
No preimpact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane were reported.
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