Two dead in light plane crash in Rishon Lezion
Ultralight aircraft disintegrates on impact beside amusement park after pilot turns back shortly after takeoff
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
Two people were killed when an ultralight aircraft crashed next to an amusement park in Rishon Lezion Sunday morning.
Both the pilot and passenger died after the plane slammed into a lot beside the Superland amusement park in the city’s west and burst into flames while apparently trying to make an emergency landing.
The crash occurred about 10 minutes after the plane took off from a small local runway, as the pilot attempted to return.
It was not immediately clear why the plane turned back. An initial investigation showed the plane may have suffered a technical malfunction, according to Hebrew-language news sites.
Paramedics pulled the two from the wreckage but were unable to revive them.
Police cordoned off the area and opened an investigation into the incident.
Rishon Lezion is located approximately 8 kilometers south of Tel Aviv.
A similar crash in March 2014 left one man dead, when a motorized paraglider crashed near the Emek Hefer industrial park, near Hadera.
In August 2013 a light plane crashed near Eilat’s airport, killing a leading Israeli accountant and leaving two seriously wounded. The collision was blamed on strong winds and choppy weather in the vicinity of the southern resort town.
The Times of Israel Community.