IAF pilot, trainee killed in plane crash in Israel’s south

“Every accident is a significant event and will be investigated in depth. This was an accident that didn’t need to happen,” said an IDF spokesman.

By World Israel News Staff

Two young men died in a plane crash in southern Israel at around 11:30 Tuesday morning. They were later identified as an Israel Air Force pilot and instructor and a student from the IAF flight school.

United Hatzalah medics responded to a report of an aircraft that made an emergency landing near Mishmar Hanegev.

Upon arrival they found two people who were in critical condition. The victims were later pronounced dead at the scene.

“It is not clear if it was caused by a technical malfunction or human error,” IDF Spokesperson Hidai Zilberman told reporters. “From the best of our understanding there was no discussion between the plane and the tower [indicating there was a problem] and the weather conditions were good.”

The IDF is investigating the cause of the crash. All training exercises are being postponed for now.

The plane had taken off from Hatzor Israeli Air Force Base, aka Kanaf 4, in central Israel.

United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Yosef Abu Japper, who was one of the first responders at the scene, said: “When I arrived at the scene I found two young men who sustained life ending injuries due to their aircraft having crashed. Unfortunately, they were both pronounced dead at the scene.”

Yanki Weinberg, a volunteer medic with Hatzalah who arrived at the scene, said, “We got to the site and saw the plane go up in fire. It crashed in a field and went up in flames. After we put the fire out, we saw a tough scene. We saw parts of the plane scattered across the field.”

“Every accident is a significant event and will be investigated in depth. This was an accident that didn’t need to happen,” Hildai said.