A light plane carrying four crewmembers crash landed Friday morning near the synagogue atop Masada, the ancient desert fortress overlooking the Dead Sea and one of Israel's most popular and recognized tourist sites.
| Plane atop Masada (Photo: Oleg Chobokov) |
The plane was forced to land as a result of an unspecified technical malfunction. The crewmembers reportedly sustained light wounds in the incident. All the injured are residents of Herzliya and arrived at the site for a private tour.
Fortunately, the plane did not damage any Masada archeological sites and artifacts, officials at the tourist site said. Meanwhile, the landing site has been fenced, while officials discuss ways to clear the debris from the area.
The crash landing resulted in a major fuel spillage atop Masada, but the site's management said there was no fear of a fire or explosion as a result.
Meanwhile, two Air Force helicopters and rescue teams were dispatched to the scene.
One of the crewmembers was brought down from the cliff using the site's cable car and was being treated at the scene. All four injured were later taken to hospital for treatment and are said to be doing well.
Masada's Deputy Director Jackie Almakias told Ynet: "We arrived at quarter to eight and then it happened. An employee atop Masada informed me and we called in first aid teams, which arrived very quickly."
"At this time there aren't many visitors at the site and we're undertaking efforts to keep people away from the plane," he said.
The plane took off from a landing strip usually used for flights to the Dead Sea. The strip was recently upgraded and became more active.
The malfunction was discovered immediately after takeoff, forcing the pilot to crash land.
The site opens to visitors at 8 a.m., with the crash landing reported around 7:45 a.m.
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