The young pilot who was killed along with his instructor during an Israel Air Force training flight on Wednesday was a native of
Cadet Carmi Ilan, who moved to
The young victim's brother Rami spoke Thursday morning with IDF Army Radio about his family's loss, describing Ilan as "very generous and selfless. He cared about everyone around him, more than anyone else I know," he said.
"It was not a dream of his to be a pilot; he just thought it would be fun. He took it as a challenge and welcomed it with a smile. That is how he approached life… He enjoyed everything he did, including the pilot's course.
"There is great comfort to know that he loved the way he lived, that he lived life to the fullest, that he did what he loved," he said. Carmi, who was a wind-surfing enthusiast, has also been memorialized on the 
There is great comfort to know that he loved the way he lived, that he lived life to the fullest, that he did what he loved.
His brother added that the family bore no grudge against the IDF for the tragedy. "It doesn't matter how it happened [or] what went wrong. I ask these questions, but I understand their emptiness. It would interest the army, maybe the public and parents of those who are to enter the pilot course. But for us, the story has ended."
Carmi's funeral will be delayed until Friday morning in order to allow time for his brother to arrive from the
Flying Was Family Tradition for Flight Instructor
Carmi's flight instructor, Captain Matan Asa, 24, of Yavneh, also died when their small twin-engine Tzukit plane crashed in the sand dunes in southern
Flying was a family tradition for the young officer. Matan's father Alon was also an airman, a navigator with the rank of colonel when he left the IAF. 
"He loved to fly," said his friend Tzachi in an interview with The Jerusalem Post. "He was fulfilling a dream. He was supposed to serve in the air force until the age of 30. He would have excelled in anything. This is the kind of guy who could have brought something new to the world."
Asa leaves two sisters, Ayelet, age 25, and Noa, age 19.
His funeral was held Thursday at noon in Yavneh's
Crash Under Investigation
The circumstances of the tragedy are still unclear and are being investigated by a special commission headed by a colonel appointed by IAF Commander Maj.-Gen. Ido Nechushtan.
No emergency call was received from the tower prior to the crash, even seconds before the plane was lost, according to IAF Chief of Staff Yochanan Locker. In addition, the plane was reportedly flying at a low altitude at the time of the incident. Moreover, both victims were experienced.
Investigators said Wednesday night that they are considering the possibility that human error may have been a factor in the tragedy. Other possibilities may have included some type of technical malfunction, or a bird penetrating an engine. There is no eject function in the Tzukit aircraft.