"Lack of control" led to the plane crash in which an officer and a cadet were killed last month, the IDF stated Thursday evening as the investigation into the deadly accident continues.
Major (Res.) Itay Zayden, 42, and Corporal Lihu Ben-Bassa, 19, were killed when their Grob G 120 'Tzukit' trainer plane crashed near Mishmar Henegev in the south.
The team of experts led by Colonel A. presented the Air Force Commander, Major General Amikam Nurkin, yesterday. the findings of interim report number two of the expert investigation team set up following the accident, along with recommendations to allow the G 120 fleet to return to service.
The conclusions of the interim report determined that the accident was caused by a lack of control in flight that developed during the training maneuvers. The investigation team cannot indicate at this stage what caused the plane to enter the uncontrolled maneuver,
The investigative team's efforts continue to examine two main directions, the flight operation that took the aircraft out of its flight envelope, and a possible technical malfunction in the engine or rudders during the flight operation, which contributed to the aircraft exiting the flight envelope.
The report also shows that it probably took between 10 and 20 seconds from the last radar contact of the plane until it hit the ground, and from the analysis of the findings at the accident site and the plane, after the plane hit the ground, no attempt was made to leave the plane and the aircraft was almost completely destroyed.