A light plane crashed in a residential area in the central Israeli city of Moddiin, Friday. Pilot Colonel (ret.) Elhanan Shmueli, 55, from Modiin and Shimshon Rozen, 60, from Timorim were confirmed dead in the incident.
According to initial details, the aircraft attempted to make an emergency landing in the city's Menachem Begin Street, but failed.
Video: ZAKA
(צילום: אבי יעקובוביץ', זק"א)
The plane apparently hit a parked car as it approached the ground, causing it to crash.
Mass police, Fire and Rescue and Magen David Adom services teams are on the scene.
Scene of the crash (Photo: Elon Hadad)
An MDA statement said that paramedic had no choice but to declare the passengers of the plane dead at the scene.
The police and Israel Aviation Authority (IAA) have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the crash, which appears to have been caused be a technical malfunction.
The wreckage (Photo: ZAKA)
Shmulik Segal, deputy commander of ZAKA Modiin, told Ynet that "When we arrived at the scene we found the debris of the plane and the bodies of the two fatalities in the middle of the road. It was a very difficult sight.
"The firefighters helped us recover the bodies. It's a miracle that the plane didn’t crash on a car that had passengers in it," he said
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First published: 12:42, 12.16.11