Light Aircraft Crashes in Northern Israel, Killing One and Injuring Another

A man in his 70s was killed and a 34-year-old man was seriously injured when a light aircraft crashed near the entrance to Kafr Qara in the Wadi Ara region on Tuesday morning. The aircraft, which was on a training flight with an instructor and a student, caught fire upon impact and ignited a natural brush area on a nearby slope.

Magen David Adom (MDA) received the report of the crash at 9:12 AM. MDA, fire, and police forces were dispatched to the scene, where they found the plane destroyed and burning on the mountainside near Highway 65. One crew member was rescued from the aircraft conscious and evacuated by a mobile intensive care unit to Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa. He was initially reported in moderate condition with burns to his limbs, but his condition worsened during transport, and he was later described as serious, sedated, and ventilated.

The second crew member was trapped inside the wreckage. After complex extraction efforts, he was removed from the debris by firefighters. MDA paramedics found him without signs of life, suffering from severe multi-system trauma and extensive burns, and pronounced him dead at the scene. Paramedics described the extraction and treatment process, noting the severe burns and critical condition of the survivor.

Firefighters from the Hadera station worked to extinguish the burning aircraft and contain the brush fire that spread towards homes in Kafr Qara. The fire was eventually brought under control, and authorities stated there was no longer a danger to the homes. Initial reports mistakenly identified the aircraft as a crop-dusting helicopter, but aviation officials clarified it was a light plane without pesticides.

Superintendent Tzachi Ben Chaim, commander of the Iron station, assessed the situation at the scene. An investigator from the Civil Aviation Authority and ZAKA volunteers arrived. Two fire crews remained to complete extinguishing operations. Police urged the public to avoid the area and follow officers' instructions. The injured 33-year-old man is currently in serious condition in the general intensive care unit at Rambam, sedated and ventilated due to his burns.