Israel Air Force pilot, cadet killed in training crash
An Israel Air Force pilot and a cadet were killed on Tuesday after their light, single- engine training aircraft crashed in a field north of Beersheba, the military confirmed.
The dead were identified as Maj. ( res.) Itai Zeidan, 42, from Kibbutz Shoval, the instructor, who was an F- 16 pilot, and cadet Lihu Benbassa, 19, from Rishon Lezion who was four months into his pilot’s training course. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of corporal.
The two had taken off from the IAF flight school at Hatzerim Airbase in a two- seat Grob G- 120 “Snunit” ( Swallow) plane.
An IAF helicopter from the 669 Search and Rescue Unit and Magen David Adom paramedics arrived at the scene of the crash, near Kibbutz Mishmar Hanegev, shortly after the accident and found two men unresponsive. They were later pronounced dead at the scene.
Photos of the crash site showed aircraft parts, some in flames, scattered across the field.
“When I arrived at the scene, I found two young men who sustained critical injuries due to their aircraft having crashed. Unfortunately, they were both pronounced dead at the scene,” said United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Yosef
Abu Jafer, who was one of the first responders at the scene.
Their bodies were later taken by helicopter to Shamir Medical Center in Tzrifin before being transferred to the Abu Kabir Institute of Forensic Medicine.
Defense Minister
Benny
Gantz sent his condolences to the families and vowed that the IDF “will do everything to investigate the crash and draw the necessary conclusions. This is a serious accident that has inflicted a heavy toll on us.”
Gantz spoke with Chief of Staff Lt.- Gen. Aviv Kochavi on Tuesday night and received initial details of the investigation.
IDF Spokesman Brig.- Gen. Hidai Zilberman said the accident occurred at around 11.30 a. m.
“There are many things we don’t know, we are only a few hours after the crash,” he said, adding that investigators were looking into several possible causes, including a technical fault.
“From what we understand, there had been no communication between the plane and the tower at the time of the crash, and the weather was good,” he said.
According to Channel 12, the investigation is examining whether the plane suffered a catastrophic failure of its steering system.
It was the first fatal training accident since 2008 when an instructor and cadet were killed in similar circumstances, but aboard a different aircraft type.
The German- made Snunit trainers that the IAF began using in 2002 are leased from Elbit, which is also in charge of their maintenance. The two crew sit side by side.
According to Zilberman, training flights like the one on Tuesday usually take less than an hour, and instructors are able to take control of the plane if needed.
Following the crash, the head of the IAF, Maj.- Gen. Amikam Norkin, suspended all training flights until the investigation, which will be led by a colonel, and see the full participation of Elbit, is complete.
“Every accident is a significant event and will be investigated in depth,” Zilberman said. “This was an accident that didn’t need to happen.”
Tzvi Joffre this report. contributed to •
But the survey on Channel 13, which was taken by pollster Camil Fuchs, found that the lead was only four seats: 27 to 23. The poll gave Yesh Atid- Telem 20, the Joint List 12, Blue and White 10, Yisrael Beytenu eight, Shas and UTJ seven and Meretz six.
In that scenario, a government could be formed without Netanyahu, using the 61 seats of Yamina, Yesh AtidTelem, Blue and White and Yisrael Beytenu.
Meanwhile, the Knesset voted late Monday to pass into law a bill that would prevent members’ salaries from being increased significantly on January 1.
The salaries of MKs are based on the average salary in the country, which has risen significantly due to the large number of lowwage earners who were fired due to the coronavirus. The MKs were due for a monthly raise of NIS 6,500.
The bill, sponsored by Yesh Atid MKs Yair Lapid and Mickey Levy, passed into law by a vote of 39 to zero.
Lapid lamented that MKs still determine their own salaries. He has tried to shift that responsibility to a public committee.
“There is a lot more to do, but this is a terrific start,” Lapid said.
Yesh Atid competed over credit for the bill with Blue and White, whose faction chairman Eitan Ginzburg formally initiated it in the Knesset House Committee he heads.
Likud MK Shlomo Karhi tried to amend the bill to prevent a pay raise next year as well, but to no avail. •