One week after the plane crash, in which Major Itai Zeiden and Corporal Lehu Ben-Bassa were killed, the report found the Air Force commander, according to which two faults were dealt with in "Swallow". However, the investigation team clarified: "No connection was found between the aircraft's maintenance history and the accident"
Investigation of the "Swallow" plane crash: The
IDF still does not know what caused the fatal accident that claimed the lives of the flight instructor, the late Maj.
According to an IDF Spokesman, yesterday (Tuesday), Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Amikam Nurkin was presented with the findings of the first interim report of the team of experts investigating the accident, which occurred last Tuesday, November 24.
The scene of the crash in the Negev, a few minutes after the incident // Photo: People of Silence
The IDF noted that the late Corporal Ben-Bassa flew with Major Zeiden as part of the preparatory phase of the pilot course, the sorting flights phase, "and this was his ninth flight (check 9) on the Swallow" plane. "For the flight instructor, acting commander of a sorting squadron, a fighter pilot in his training, thousands of flight hours, of which hundreds are hours on the 'swallow' plane."
According to the findings of the interim report presented by the team headed by Colonel A., "the plane had a technical malfunction in the engine about two and a half months ago and another minor malfunction, about a week before the accident, in which extensive maintenance operations were performed on the plane." "No connection was found between the aircraft's maintenance history and the accident."
On the morning of the crash, the plane was approved for flight after being inspected by technical crews.
It was also reported that on the same day two other flights departed with different crews from the flight school.
Experts noted that the "Swallow" plane took off from a yards base at 10:43 a.m., when the weather was comfortable and visibility was good.
"During the flight, pre-arranged exercises and another exercise were planned at the discretion of the flight instructor, according to the sorting needs," the report said.
This was the last report to the control tower, no reports of an emergency or malfunction were received in connection with the accident. "
My son Lihu Muhammad Nefshi was killed in a training accident in a pilot's course on a plane that crashed this morning in Rahat.
Posted by Shlomo Benbassa on Tuesday, November 24, 2020
It is estimated that the last probable contact of the radar systems with the aircraft was at 11:12 at an altitude of 900 feet above the surface.
It is not possible at this stage to determine what maneuver the aircraft performed until the ground was hit.
The length of time that has elapsed is at most about two minutes from the loss of radar contact until the ground is hit. "
Investigators encountered another obstacle as part of efforts to find out the circumstances of the crash: "The recording devices that were on the plane were badly damaged in the accident and despite many efforts in Israel and abroad it will probably not be possible to recover them.
To date, no findings have been found that indicate that the plane was hit in the air, hit by birds, detached parts in the air, or that fire developed in the air. "It was further stated that no attempt was made to abandon the plane.
General Nurkin: "Continue with a professional and in-depth investigation"
The investigation of the incident will continue, as part of which a representative of the aircraft's manufacturer company will arrive in Israel.
After receiving the interim report, Air Force Commander Major General Nurkin said: “We had a fatal accident.
A professional and in-depth investigation should be continued.
"The characteristics of the accident consist of many pieces of information, which make it difficult to compile a clear picture, and yet we must understand what happened and how."
At this stage, according to the decision of the commander of the Air Force, the "swallow" aircraft array will not return to the training flights of the Air Force.
The IDF said that the rest of the flight crews returned to training flights over the past weekend.
The families of the late Major Zeiden and Corporal Ben-Bassa were updated on the report's findings, and the IDF added that the Air Force "will continue to accompany the families and update them on the development of the investigation."