On Saturday, a tragic incident occurred near Lake Tahoe in western California, resulting in the loss of two lives. The crash involved a single-engine turboprop aircraft.
The Daher TBM 700 plane departed from Centennial Airport in south Denver at 4:22 p.m. Mountain Time, as per the flight data on FlightAware.com. Its destination was the Truckee Tahoe Airport, with an estimated flight duration of three hours and 16 minutes.
According to updates shared on social media by the Truckee police and fire departments, the plane crashed north of the airport, but fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries to anyone outside of the aircraft.
Daher, formerly known as Socata, is a French aircraft manufacturer. According to FAA records, the specific aircraft involved in the crash was constructed in 2022.
The Truckee Airport shared a picture of a Daher TBM aircraft, similar to the one involved in the crash.
The identities of the two individuals on board the aircraft have not been disclosed. However, the plane is registered under Avram Enterprises, a company based in Nevada. According to an online business profile, Liron Petrushka is listed as one of only two agents associated with the company.
The Times of Israel has identified Liron Petrushka and his wife, Naomi, as the two victims of the crash, according to a report published on Sunday. Liron Petrushka, who was once a professional soccer player in Israel, had transitioned into a tech entrepreneur in the U.S. alongside his wife, as stated in the article.
The chairman of Petrushka’s former soccer team, Einav Hazenvald, released a statement:
The club mourns the loss of Liron Petrushka and his wife. Liron’s journey with the club began at the age of 10, and he went on to play for all the teams, including the adults’ team. We were teammates in the youth team, where we achieved the incredible feat of winning the national championship. Liron’s talent and dedication were evident as he continued to shine even in the adult team.
According to the Aviation Safety Network, initial details about the crash indicate that the Petrushka’s plane failed to make its approach to a runway running from northeast to southwest at the airport. In an attempt to rectify the situation, the plane executed a 180-degree turn over the airport and ascended in altitude, likely in a “go-around” maneuver to make another landing attempt. Unfortunately, shortly after the plane completed the turn over the airport, it entered into a left-hand stalling spiral, ultimately leading to the crash site.
The Truckee Tahoe Airport has reported that the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have initiated an investigation into the crash on Sunday morning. It typically takes several months for the officials to determine the exact cause of such crashes as they gather the wreckage and reconstruct what remains of the aircraft.
The Aviation Safety Network’s account of the incident aligns with the final moments of the aircraft’s flight trajectory as depicted on FlightRadar24.com.
According to the Truckee Fire Department, the plane touched down in a residential area, specifically between a row of railroad tracks and the Truckee River.
According to FlightAware’s records, the plane had been flown from Truckee, California to Colorado’s Centennial Airport on March 27. It had also made trips between Truckee and San Carlos, Calif., Camarillo, Calif., and Portland since March 19.
