IDF recovers helmet of pilot killed in accident 35 years ago

Israeli hikers found the helmet over the weekend in Nahal Paran and posted a photo of it on Facebook, but left it behind.

By Aryeh Savir,TPS

The IDF has recovered the helmet of Israel Air Force (IAF) pilot Major Daniel (Danny) Guri who was killed in a training accident 35 years ago.

On May 27, 1984, on his fourth wedding anniversary, Danny was on a training flight with one of his students over the Negev. The plane malfunctioned and the two tried to bail out but were unsuccessful. The plane crashed with Danny and his apprentice. He was 32 years old. His daughter Dana, who was named after him, was born two months after his death.

His helmet was found in the vicinity of the crash site.

Israeli hikers found the helmet over the weekend in Nahal Paran and posted a photo of it on Facebook, but left it behind.

Representatives of the IAF’s missing persons unit contacted the hikers to identify the exact location where they found the helmet.

The IAF dispatched a team to the site while updating Guri’s family on the development.

The team was comprised of members of the elite 669 Search and Rescue Unit, safety and quality control investigators, and a helicopter crew from the Desert Birds Squadron, who split and scoured the area until the helmet was located.

The pilot’s family was notified about the find and will receive the helmet in the near future.

“The effort to identify missing persons and fallen victims is an ongoing effort and part of the IDF’s moral duty, part of our commitment to the soldiers and their families,” the IDF stated.

“The IDF is obliged to return to each family member a piece of memory of their loved ones who sacrificed their lives and fell during their military service,” it added.