IAF cadet, instructor killed in crash

Army suspects human error as Zukit plane goes down, killing Carmi Elan, 19, and Matan Asa, 24.

By YAAKOV KATZ
IAF Zukit 224.88 (photo credit: IDF [file])
IAF Zukit 224.88
(photo credit: IDF [file])
A veteran Israeli Air Force pilot and a cadet in the prestigious Pilot's Course were killed on Wednesday when their training plane crashed in the Negev. An initial inquiry focused on the likelihood that the crash was caused by human error. The plane that crashed was a French-made Fouga Magister - known in the IAF as "Zukit" - which serves as the branch's primary training aircraft. The flight cadet was identified as Pvt. Carmi Elan, 19, from Herzliya and the pilot as Cpt. (res.) Matan Asa, 24, from Yavne, who worked as a flight instructor. Deputy IAF commander Brig.-Gen. Yohanan Locker said that Carmi had been in the Pilot's Course for a year and a half and had flown the Zukit before Wednesday's fatal flight. The plane crashed 30 minutes after taking off from the Hatzerim Base near Beersheba, on its way back to the base. The plane, Locker said, had been flying behind another Zukit at an altitude of 400 feet when it struck a dune and crashed. An IAF 669 rescue team was alerted to the scene and found both of the pilots dead. Locker said that the no cries of distress had been heard on the radio prior to the crash. Following the crash, IAF commander Maj.-Gen. Ido Nehushtan grounded all of the Zukits and set up an inquiry committee, to be headed by a colonel. On Thursday, the IAF plans to dedicate half a day to lectures on flight safety. Dozens of mourners gathered quietly Wednesday in and around Asa's suburban Yavne home, from which the sound of sobbing could be heard. Asa's parents, Alon and Michal, were reluctant to speak to the media, but his friends described an unusually intelligent and ambitious young man whose humorous outlook on life defined him. "Matan loved to fly. He was fulfilling a dream," his close friend Tzahi said. "He was supposed to serve in the air force until the age of 30." Tzahi described how he had attempted to convince his friend to pursue a career outside of the IAF, adding, "He could have done anything. This is the kind of guy who could have brought something new to the world." Tzahi recalled how Asa's curiosity had led him to "become interested in everything." By ninth grade, Asa had achieved exceptional results in math at Yavne's Ha'oren High School, which is famous for its connection to the IAF. Although Asa was the only student from his class to qualify for the air force, in recent years, five graduates from a single grade have made it in, leading that group to be dubbed "the flying class." One friend, Itai, couldn't help but note that, in an ironic twist, "a week ago we decided to set up a pointless political party as a joke," and a number of their friends, including Asa, "were asking, how do we get ourselves into the headlines?" He added, "Today Matan is all over the paper." In describing his friend, Itai said, "He was a happy guy. In the seven years I have known him, I have never seen him sad. He always liked to laugh with his friends." Ruth Sharabi, the principle of the Ha'oren High School, described Asa as an "outstanding student." "He was opinionated in the positive sense of the word," she said. "He knew how to express himself. He always had a big smile on his face. We, the school management, parents and students, will miss him dearly." Asa is survived by his parents and two sisters, Ayelet, 25, and Nora, 19. The Fougas entered IAF service in 1960 with the flight school in Hatzerim, where they were used for both basic and advanced jet training. The aircraft also formed the IAF's aerobatic team. In the 1980s, the plane began to show structural fatigue and was sent for a major upgrade by Israel Aerospace Industries. It was later renamed the Zukit. The new aircraft underwent over 250 modifications, including the refurbishment of new engines and a redesigned cockpit. Serial production began in 1983, and the last aircraft was delivered to the IAF in 1986. In July, the Pentagon announced that it had approved a $190 million deal for 25 T-6A Texan aircraft, which would be used to replace the aging Zukit. The Zukit's high fuel and maintenance costs, as well as low mission-capable rates, led to the IAF's decision to procure new trainer aircraft. The T-6A, according to the Pentagon, will reduce training fuel requirements by 66 percent. In September, a Cobra attack helicopter crashed during a training flight in the North, killing two veteran reserve pilots. The cause of that crash has yet to be determined, and the IAF's cobra squadrons have remained grounded since the incident. According to Locker, the investigation into the Cobra accident is close to being completed. He said the inquiry had concluded that a technical malfunction had caused the crash.