Aircraft crash scene in the south // Photo: Liora Ben Tzur Radio South
The purpose of the team is to present new findings, determine directions for further investigation, and recommendations for actions required to return the SDK to flight. Conclusions Interim report number two indicates that at this stage it can be determined that the accident was caused by lack of flight control developed during practice. The investigative team cannot indicate at this stage what caused the plane to enter an uncontrolled maneuver.
The research team continues to examine two main directions:
1. Flight operation that took the aircraft out of the flight envelope.
2. Technical fault in the engine or rudders during the flight operation, which contributed to the departure of the aircraft from the flight envelope.
Intermediate report number two also shows that it probably took between 10 and 20 seconds from the last radar contact of the plane until it hit the ground, and from the analysis of the findings at the accident site and the plane fragments, the plane hit the ground, no attempt was made to leave the plane. On the ground and the plane was mostly wiped out.
In addition, a dedicated test flight was performed on the “Swallow” aircraft by test pilots from the MNT Squadron (Flight Experiment Center), who reconstructed the flight layout with characteristics that resembled the day of the accident (time and weather). An application was also made to the aircraft manufacturer, which also conducted a test flight at the request of the Air Force.
The aircraft company came to Israel to assist in the technical tests. In addition, the engine and propeller of the aircraft were sent for comprehensive testing in the US and underwent a thorough investigation process.
We emphasize that the engine investigation and the steering system investigation were not completed, no evidence of technical failure in the engine or steering system was found. There are components that due to their condition after the accident can not be exhausted their investigation and negate their contribution to the accident.
The team of experts led by Colonel A continues to investigate the circumstances of the accident, and recommended to the Air Force commander that the “swallow” aircraft be returned to flight, after comprehensive and special technical tests performed on all components that could not be ruled out.
The expert investigation team also presented additional recommendations to the Air Force Commander: a broad look at all low-altitude sorting squadron exercises so as to allow sufficiently wide safety margins to deal with a complex flight situation, limit the height of sorting drills in the Swallow planes until the expert squad is completed. Flight “Features” Flight in the “Swallow” aircraft for more in-depth training on the “Swallow” aircraft shell to improve pilots’ ability to cope with complex flight situations, establish a Swallow training center, and complete the installation of a new interrogation system across all aircraft.
The commander of the Air Force, Major General Amikam Nurkin, accepted the findings of the second interim report and approved the directions for further investigation. In addition, the commander of the Air Force decided, following the interim report’s conclusions and team recommendation, to return the Swallow aircraft to training and sorting flights gradually. And after all the tests and actions determined. This is due to the findings of the second interim report of the investigation, which provided information on the possible causes of the accident, and due to the presentation of the actions required to be performed for the factors that can not be unequivocally ruled out.
The Air Force commander noted the professionalism and importance of the investigative team in this complex investigation, stressed that these are only interim findings and instructed to complete and exhaust the investigation in full.
“Despite the complexity and the great difficulty of the investigation following the resurrection of the aircraft, we will continue to investigate professionally and turn every stone so that we can say what happened and how it happened,” the Air Force commander said.
The bereaved families were updated on the findings of the second interim report. The Air Force will continue to monitor the families and update them as the investigation progresses. As mentioned, the findings of the first interim report indicate that the flight crew included the flight instructor, Major (Res.) Itai Zeiden. “L, and a trainee in the emergency squadron at the flight school, the late Corporal Lihu Ben-Basa. The flight instructor, was a reserve fighter pilot in the 201st Squadron and accumulated more than 3,000 flight hours on fighter jets. Performed about 470 hours of flying on the Swallow plane. After retiring from permanent service, served as a flight instructor in the Squadron Squadron and was appointed commander as the Squadron Commander. The trainee was in the “preparatory” phase of the pilot course, about four months from the beginning, His ninth flight (check 9) on the Swallow plane.