Former Israeli Fighter Pilot Dies in Northern Israel Plane Crash

Eran Peleg, a 75-year-old former fighter pilot and reserve lieutenant colonel, died on Friday, October 2, in the crash of a light aircraft in the Wadi Ara region of northern Israel. The incident also injured the 33-year-old pilot who was flying the plane. Peleg, who worked as a flight instructor at the Sky Tisa flight school, was reportedly accompanying the pilot. The aircraft departed from Megiddo airfield before experiencing a malfunction that led to the crash. The plane fell in an open area near the town of Kafr Kara, igniting a fire that spread to a nearby grove but was contained by firefighters before reaching homes. The aircraft was completely destroyed.

The injured pilot, who sustained burns to his limbs, was extracted from the wreckage and transported to Rambam Hospital in Haifa. His condition was initially reported as severe but was later downgraded to moderate. Peleg was initially reported to have suffered severe injuries, with news of his death emerging later.

Peleg had a career in high-tech after his military service. In a 2020 interview, he discussed a startup he co-founded with Arkia pilot Iyad Bader, called "Metafor," which specialized in Model-Driven Software Engineering (MDSE). They aimed to bring high-tech jobs to the Druze village of Hurfeish. Peleg, a computer and information systems specialist, had been the chief instructor at the Megiddo Teufa flight school, where he met Bader approximately 12 years prior. Bader, who became a civilian and then commercial pilot after his IDF service, partnered with Peleg to develop software using formal models.

"Metafor" clients included Israel Aerospace Industries, the Israeli Air Force, and Mobileye. The company employed seven people, primarily software and computer engineers, and was based in Hurfeish. Peleg served as CEO, overseeing development and marketing, while Bader managed business development and investments. Their goal was to create high-tech employment opportunities for local residents, enabling them to work near home. Peleg expressed a desire to foster a high-tech revolution within the Druze community, allowing young people in places like Hurfeish to pursue careers in technology without needing to relocate to major cities.