Israeli Actor and Pilot Guy Kopolovitz Dies in California Plane Crash

Israeli actor and pilot Guy Kopolovitz, 46, was killed last week in a plane crash in California, his family announced Tuesday. Kopolovitz, who was also a flight instructor, died along with another woman when his single-engine Aeronca Champion aircraft crashed in an open area near Library, California, in San Bernardino County, on Thursday morning. Kopolovitz, originally from the community of Karmei Yosef, had been living in Los Angeles in recent years.

He was a graduate of the Nissan Nativ Acting Studio in Jerusalem and held a degree in information systems from the Technion. Before his acting career, he served as an officer in the elite search and rescue Unit 669. In Israel, his acting credits include the films "Room 514," "Salsa Tel Aviv," "Keep Me," and "Lebanon," as well as theater and other productions.

Kopolovitz later moved to the United States, where he continued his acting career in film, television, and theater. In recent years, his passion for aviation became a central part of his life. He trained as a pilot and flight instructor in California, teaching many students. Following his death, students and friends posted tributes, remembering him as a beloved figure and a significant instructor who taught them not only to fly but also to love aviation.

His relatives described him as "a man of action, curiosity, and adventure. An actor and creator, a skipper and a man of the sea." The circumstances of the crash are under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Kopolovitz is survived by his parents, siblings, family, friends, colleagues, and students in Israel and the United States. His funeral is scheduled for Wednesday in Karmei Yosef.