The IDF publishes today (Thursday) the findings of another interim report, the second in a row, which examined the swallow plane accident last month, in which the flight instructor (Res.) Itai Zeiden and the pilot pilot Lihua Ben- The late Besa. According to the report’s findings, the plane crash was caused by a lack of control over the flight that developed in the King of Practice. The findings reinforce the direction that it was human error that led to the loss of control. However, the possibility of technical failure has not yet been completely ruled out.
Yesterday, the team of experts, led by Colonel A to Air Force Commander General Amikam Nurkin, presented the findings of the report, after the first interim report did not indicate any significant findings that proved what led to the crash. The conclusions of the new report indicate that “at this stage it can be determined that the accident was caused due to a lack of control over the flight that developed during the practice. The investigative team cannot indicate at this stage what caused the plane to enter an uncontrolled maneuver. ”
The IDF said that “the investigative team continues to examine two main directions: the flight operation that took the plane out of the flight envelope; A technical malfunction in the engine or rudders during the flight operation, which contributed to the plane exiting the flight envelope. “
The second interim report also states 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.” The ground and the plane were mostly wiped out. “
Plane crash scene in the south (Photo: Dudu Greenspan, Flash 90)In addition, the IDF notes, a dedicated test flight was performed on the “Swallow” aircraft by test pilots from the MNT Squadron (Flight Experiment Center), who restored the flight outline with characteristics similar to the day of the accident (time and weather). An application to the aircraft manufacturer, who also performed a test flight at the request of the Air Force. “The aircraft company arrived in Israel to assist with the technical tests. In addition, the engine and propeller of the aircraft were sent for comprehensive tests in the United States and “underwent a thorough investigation process,” the IDF said.
The Air Force emphasizes 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. In addition, there are components that due to their condition after the accident can not be exhausted their investigation and deny their contribution to the accident.
The team of experts headed by Colonel A continues to investigate the circumstances of the accident, and recommended to the Air Force Commander that the “Swallow” aircraft fleet be returned to flights, after comprehensive and special technical tests to be performed on all components that could not be ruled out. Amikam Nurkin, accepted the findings of the second interim report and approved the directions of the investigation for further. In addition, the commander of the Air Force, following the conclusions of the interim report and the recommendation of the crew, decided to gradually return the “swallow” array to training and sorting flights, after all the tests and operations that had been determined.
Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Amikam Nurkin (Photo: Tomer Neuberg, Flash 90)“Despite the complexity and difficulty of the investigation following the plane’s resurrection, we will continue to investigate professionally and turn every stone so that we can say what happened and how it happened,” said the Air Force commander, who ordered the comprehensive investigation of the accident.
As you may recall, the flight instructor, Major (Res.) Itai Zeiden, was an operational fighter pilot in reserve in the 201st Squadron and accumulated over 3,000 flight hours on fighter jets. In the past, he commanded a sorting squadron, during which time he performed about 470 hours of flying on the “Swallow” plane. After retiring from permanent service, he served as a flight instructor in the emergency squadron and was appointed commander of it as the squadron’s acting commander. The trainee, Corporal Lehu Ben-Bassa, was in the “preparatory” phase of the pilot course, about four months from the beginning, in the sorting flights phase, and this was his ninth flight (check 9) on the “Swallow” plane.