Israeli tech entrepreneur and wife killed in Calif. plane crash during snowstorm, leaving behind 3 kids
A tech entrepreneur who once played professional soccer in Israel and his wife tragically lost their lives in a plane crash near the California-Nevada border on Saturday evening, officials confirmed.
Liron and Naomi Petrushka were flying their high-performance single-engine Socata TBM9 when it crashed near a railway during an attempted landing at Truckee Tahoe Airport around 6:40 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The couple, residents of California, leave behind three children.
"I heard this airplane, but very close right over the house and I was like, ‘Gosh, that sounds awfully close,'" nearby resident Susan Bower told KCRA. "Seconds later, I could hear a big thud. I knew it went down."
No homes were damaged in the crash, although repairs were needed for the railroad tracks at the site, as reported by the station. Snowfall during the incident reduced visibility to about half a mile, with minimal wind, according to the outlet.
"We were definitely surprised the plane [was] out in that visibility. We thought for sure it was flying using an instrument," said Susan’s husband, Craig Bower, to KCRA. "There was no visibility at all."
Liron, who was piloting the aircraft, communicated with radar controllers in Oakland about the challenging weather conditions for several minutes as he attempted to navigate, according to radio calls reviewed by the Sacramento Bee.
The ill-fated flight departed from Centennial Airport in south Denver on its way to Truckee, approximately 30 miles from Reno, Nevada, as reported by CBS Colorado. Liron, 57, and Naomi Petrushka, 58, had been residing in California for the past few years, according to Israeli media.
The Silicon Valley company where Liron worked, UpWest, expressed devastation over the sudden loss of the couple.
“Our hearts are with the Petrushka family and their sons David, Scott, and Jordan," said UpWest, a seed fund investing in Israeli entrepreneurs. Liron initially joined the company in 2012 as a partner before transitioning to an adviser role in 2017. He described himself as a longtime tech entrepreneur and angel investor on his LinkedIn page.
“Liron and Naomi were a significant force in the building and success of UpWest from its inception,” the company stated. “They brought their entrepreneurial spirit and generosity to our fund, working with us and our founders on many pivotal milestones. Their home was always open, as were their big hearts. We are all heartbroken by this loss.”
Liron’s former soccer club, Hapoel Ramat Gan Givatayim, expressed sorrow over the tragedy.
“Liron grew up in the club from the age of 10 and passed through all the teams in the club, including the adults’ team,” said the team’s chairman, Einav Hazanvald, in a statement. “He played with me in the youth team, where we won the national championship, as well as in the adult team.”
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are expected to conduct investigations into the fatal crash.
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