Plane that crashed in Ohio claiming the lives of four college students was overloaded

  • Four college students died in a nighttime plane crash on August 25 2013
  • Federal investigative agency says the plane was likely overweight by 90lbs
  • Students died after first day of classes at Case Western Reserve University

By JENNY STANTON FOR MAILONLINE and ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: | Updated:

A plane that clashed claiming the lives of four college students was likely overloaded, according to a federal investigative agency.

Pilot William Felten, of Saginaw, Michigan, and his three passengers, Lucas Marcelli, 20, of Massillon, Ohio, Abraham Pishevar, 18, of Rockville, Maryland, and John Hill, 18, of St. Simons, Georgia died in the crash on August 25 2014.

The four men had planned a nighttime sightseeing trip after their first day of classes at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. 

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Pilot William Felten, 20, was a private pilot with about 116 hours of experience
Freshman Abraham Pishevar, 18, of Rockville, Maryland, died in the crash

Pilot William Felten, 20, (left) was a private pilot with about 116 hours of experience. Freshman Abraham Pishevar (right), 18, of Rockville, Maryland, died alongside him

The plane that clashed  killing four students was likely overloaded, according to a federal investigative agency

The plane that clashed  killing four students was likely overloaded, according to a federal investigative agency

The National Transportation Safety Board said the plane was likely overloaded by at least 90lbs when it crashed in Willoughby Hills. 

The agency said the plane's center of gravity may have also been farther to the rear than the plane's limits. 

These factors can cause a plane to lose maneuverability, but the report did not identify a probable cause of the crash.

It said the pilot reported that he was not climbing fast enough and tried to return. The plane crashed outside the fence line of Cuyahoga County Airport when it started to turn around.

Residents reported hearing an explosion as they raced toward the crash site and that the fuselage quickly caught fire, trapping the men inside. 

Tragedy: Lucas Marcelli was a second year student
John Hill, 18, was a freshman

Tragedy: Lucas Marcelli (left) was a second year student, while John Hill, 18, (right) was a freshman

The plane, a Cessna 172R, was rented online from a local flying club for four hours starting at 8.30pm on August 25. 

None of the club's employees were at there when the men arrived at Cuyahoga County Airport in the Cleveland suburb of Richmond Heights.

Felten and Marcelli were both second-year students and members of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity. Pishevar and Hill were both freshman.

Felten was a private pilot with about 116 hours of experience. 

He had attended a fraternity rush event before the flight, but an autopsy found no evidence of alcohol or banned substances, The Detroit News reported.

The plane, a Cessna 172R, was rented online from a flying club for four hours starting at 8.30pm on August 25

The plane, a Cessna 172R, was rented online from a flying club for four hours starting at 8.30pm on August 25

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