Three Israelis were killed when a small training plane crashed near Bowie, Maryland, on Sunday, and U.S. investigators are still trying to determine what caused the accident. The victims were identified as Yoav Bomrind of Zichron Ya'akov, David Rabinovitch of Haifa, and Elad Neidik of Toronto. Bomrind and Rabinovitch will be buried in Israel, while Neidik will be laid to rest in Toronto.
Bomrind’s father told N12 that his son had traveled to the United States “to fulfill his dream” of becoming a pilot. He described him as “a beautiful and smart child, the best possible,” adding that the family adopted him from Ukraine when he was one year old and that “he made us happy parents.” He said Bomrind left behind his parents and his sister, 21-year-old Inbar, who is an IDF officer. The father also said his son was an excellent footballer and pilot, and “a family man who liked to help others and volunteered in the Israel Police.”
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the consul in Washington and the ministry’s department for Israelis abroad are in contact with the families, helping coordinate with local authorities. In a message to the WIFA pilot community, the organization that operated the flight, officials said the plane, tail number N249WF, was found early in the morning in a wooded area and there were no survivors. All flights by the group were canceled for that day.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation with the Federal Aviation Administration. Investigators are examining the flight path, which was supposed to go from New Jersey to an airfield in Montgomery County, and NBC reported that they collected remains from the woods near homes and are reviewing radar data. A preliminary report is expected within days, but the final cause is likely to take longer. ZAKA said it began working with U.S. authorities immediately after the crash, and its U.S. commander, Yanki Landau, said the organization is helping at the site and supporting the families. The crash alert came from an iPhone at 11:53 p.m. local time, and search teams needed about four hours to find the wreckage because the crash happened in the dark with no eyewitnesses. The Piper Cherokee PA-28 was found in woods just meters from homes, with debris near a playground and part of a wing in one backyard. Fox reported that residents heard a loud explosion, though some initially thought it was fireworks or thunder.
