A former Israeli professional soccer player and high-tech entrepreneur and his wife died Saturday night in a plane crash near the California-Nevada border as their high-performance aircraft attempted to land during a snowstorm, officials said. announced.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Liron and Naomi Petrushka’s single-engine Socata TBM9 crashed near the railroad tracks as it approached Truckee-Tahoe Airport around 6:40 p.m.
The couple, who lived in California, left behind three children.
“I heard the plane, and it was so close, right above my house, that I thought, ‘Oh my god, that sounded so close,'” said Susan Bower, who lives nearby. he told KCRA.
“A few seconds later I heard a loud thud,” she added. “I knew it was going down.”
No homes were damaged, but the railroad tracks at the accident site required repairs, the agency reported.
The station said there was not much wind, but visibility was about a half-mile due to the snowfall.
“It definitely surprised the plane. [was] In its visibility. Susan’s husband, Craig Bower, told KCRA.
“There was no visibility at all.”
Liron, who was flying the plane, and an Auckland radar controller discussed the bad weather for several minutes in an attempt to circumvent the situation, according to reviewed radio calls. By The Sacramento Bee.
The couple’s plane took off from Centennial Airport south of Denver during the ill-fated trip to Truckee, 30 miles from Reno, Nevada. CBS Colorado reported.
Liron, 57, and Naomi Petrushka, 58, had been living in California for the past few years. According to Israeli media.
UpWest, the Silicon Valley company where Liron worked; stated in a statement He was “devastated” by the couple’s sudden death.
UpWest, a seed fund that invests in Israeli entrepreneurs, said: “Our hearts are with the Petrushka family and their sons David, Scott and Jordan.”
Mr. Liron joined the firm as a partner in 2012 and became an advisor to the fund in 2017. On his own LinkedIn page, he described himself as a long-time technology entrepreneur and angel investor.
“Liron and Naomi have been instrumental in building UpWest and succeeding since its inception,” the company said. “They bring entrepreneurial spirit and generosity to our fund, and have worked with us and our founders on many important milestones. Their homes, like their big hearts, are always open. We are all heartbroken by this loss.”
Liron’s former football club, Hapoel Ramat Gan Givataim the above The team “bowed” over their deaths.
“Liron has been with the club since he was 10 years old and has played in every team within the club, including the adult team,” club president Einav Hasanvald said in a statement. “He played with me on the adult team as well as on the youth team where we won the national championship.”
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are expected to investigate the fatal crash.
with post wire
