Andrew Guckes and Zoe Bell | Staff Writers
Three Israelis were killed on Saturday night, June 20, when a light aircraft crashed at a park near Bowie. The plane crashed in a wooded area of Archer Park north of Bowie at around 11:30 p.m. while traveling to Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg from Ocean City, New Jersey.
As of Monday, the cause of the crash was unknown, according to the Maryland State Police. It occurred just feet from a townhome community, according to FOX 5 DC. The National Transportation Safety Board was leading the investigation as of Sunday morning.
“Israel’s Consul in Washington and the Department for Israelis Abroad at the Foreign Ministry are assisting the families during this difficult time, maintaining continuous contact with them and helping coordinate matters with the local authorities,” said Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
The victims include 26-year-old pilot Yoav Bomrind and 19-year-old David Rabinovitz, residents of Israel, and 20-year-old Elad Naidik of Toronto, Canada.
ZAKA North America, a regional branch of the Israeli humanitarian and emergency response organization ZAKA Search and Rescue, identified all three individuals as Israelis in a press release, saying that it moved quickly to help the families of the deceased, including the recovery efforts, handling of remains and the sensitive arrangements that were required following the tragic crash.
“From the moment we received notification of this tragedy, our volunteers mobilized to provide assistance and support,” said ZAKA North America Commander Yanky Landau.
“Together with our partners at Misaskim, our volunteers worked tirelessly to ensure that the victims were treated with the utmost dignity and that their families received the support they needed during an unimaginable moment of loss. These situations are never easy, but the responsibility we carry is clear — to honor the deceased and stand beside families when they need us most.”
The three were flying in a Piper PA-28 Cherokee registered to Washington International Flight Academy of Gaithersburg, Maryland. Officials received an iPhone crash alert at 11:45 p.m. Prince George’s County Fire Department, Maryland State Police assigned to the Special Operations Division, Criminal Enforcement Division and College Park Barrack, officers from the Anne Arundel County Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department and the Bowie City Police Department responded. Officials said the plane was located at 3:45 a.m. near a residential area off of Scarlett Oak Court in Bowie, across the street from Archer Park.
According to Maryland State Police, investigators believe the aircraft may have been participating in a training flight.
In addition to the government agencies, ZAKA and partner organizations like Misaskim of Baltimore and Misaskim of Central Jersey have assisted with response efforts following the crash.
“Incidents like this demonstrate the importance of strong relationships between emergency organizations, community partners and government agencies,” said ZAKA North Executive Director Moshe Rozenberg. “The ability to mobilize and respond quickly, coordinate effectively and provide culturally sensitive support requires trust and preparation built long before tragedy strikes … our goal is always to bring dignity, compassion and support to families during their most difficult moments.”
“It was very rare to find someone like him, in today’s day and age, to be so dedicated to his family, so dedicated to the community, to have such a volunteer, kind spirit … He was always encouraging the people around him to be more kind, to be more welcoming, to be more accepting,” Rabbi Chezky Deren of the Chabad of Maple in Ontario, Canada, told ABC 7 News, describing Naidik.
WTOP quoted a nearby resident who said she heard a thunderous boom that shook the area and lasted about seven seconds. Another nearby resident told the radio station they heard trees crackling and snapping but didn’t hear any loud noises that indicated a plane had crashed.
Rabbi Sholom Raichik of Chabad Lubavitch of Upper Montgomery County and his colleagues stepped into action at the scene “from the moment [the accident] happened,” the rabbi told Washington Jewish Week.
When the plane crash occurred, the flight school contacted Raichik and Chabad Israeli Center of Rockville’s Rabbi Shlomo Beitsh, who work closely with the school regularly. The two rabbis met family members of the deceased at the airpark, comforted them and provided lodging and food for them while they were in town.
Beitsh handled the needs of the deceased and contacted ZAKA. Bowie’s Rabbi Eli Baron arrived on scene to recite Jewish prayers and supervise.
Raichik and Beitsh held a memorial service for the three victims on June 24 at the flight school.
Ron Halber, the CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, spoke to the “awful” tragedy. “It’s very sad,” Halber told Washington Jewish Week. “Our heart goes out to the families, the friends, the loved ones who are no doubt going through an enormously trying time.
“It took another layer of sadness when we found out that all three members of this plane crash were Israeli, members of our community,” he added. “I think the whole Jewish community is in shock, … and this is part of a pattern of sadness in the Jewish community because of ongoing events in the world.”
The investigation is ongoing.
aguckes@midatlanticmedia.com
zbell@midatlanticmedia.com
