Israeli Actor and Pilot Guy Kopolovitz Dies in California Plane Crash

Israeli actor and flight instructor Guy Kopolovitz, 46, was killed in a small plane crash in California on Thursday. His family confirmed his death on Tuesday. A second woman was also killed in the incident. The crash occurred around 10 a.m. in an open area near Hesperia in San Bernardino County. The single-engine Aeronca Champion aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff. Emergency services pronounced both occupants dead at the scene.

Kopolovitz, a resident of Carmei Yosef, had been living in Los Angeles in recent years. He served as an officer in the elite search and rescue unit 669 during his military service. He later earned a degree in information systems from the Technion. He also studied acting at the Nissan Nativ Acting Studio in Jerusalem and appeared in numerous Israeli theater productions and films, including "Lebanon" and "Room 514."

He moved to the United States to continue his acting career, participating in local film, television, and theater productions. In recent years, Kopolovitz developed a passion for aviation, completing flight training in California and becoming a certified flight instructor. He trained many students.

The cause of the crash is currently unknown and is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Kopolovitz's funeral will be held on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at the cemetery in Carmei Yosef. Friends and students remembered him as "a man of the stage, the sea, and the skies."