The pilot of the single-engine plane that crashed Saturday night in Prince George’s County, Maryland, was only recently certified as a private pilot, a former National Transportation Safety Board investigator told ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½.
Gregory Feith said FAA records also show Yoav Bomrind was not an instructor, meaning the flight was likely not for training, even though the aircraft may have been rented from a flight school.
“It would not be permitted for the actual certificated pilot, the one that had the private pilot certificate, to be providing any kind of instruction,” Feith told ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½.
The plane belonged to the Washington International Flight Academy in Gaithersburg. Feith said investigators will take a close look at how the trip was planned, including fuel and flight time.
“How much fuel did this aircraft have when they took off out of Gaithersburg on the initial leg to Ocean City, New Jersey? How much flying did they do in that particular area, and how much flight time was involved coming back from Ocean City, New Jersey?” he said.
Federal investigators are working to piece together the pilot’s experience, the flight path and whether the aircraft was rented for the trip.
Maryland State Police said 26-year-old pilot Bomrind, of Israel, was flying the plane with two passengers: 19-year-old David Rabinovich, also of Israel, and 20-year-old Elad Naidik, of Canada. Both passengers had student pilot licenses.
The single-engine plane crashed late at night in a wooded area near a townhome community in Bowie.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with help from the FAA.
The NTSB said an investigator remains on scene documenting the wreckage, which will later be moved to a secure facility for further examination. Officials said it’s too early to determine a cause.
Feith said investigators will also focus on data, along with evidence including air traffic control recordings, radar data, weather conditions and the pilot’s recent flight history.
“You start looking at the purpose of the flight, you look at the pilot’s qualifications, you look at, of course, the aircraft,” he said.
Feith said available flight data shows the plane did not follow a steady path, with speed and altitude changing significantly. That could mean the pilot was dealing with winds or climbing frequently, both of which use more fuel. Investigators will be looking closely at whether the plane burned more fuel than expected and whether the pilot may have been trying to reach another airport before the crash.
Investigators are also expected to review communications with air traffic control, maintenance records, witness statements and the pilot’s training history as they work to determine what happened.
The NTSB is asking anyone who may have seen the crash or has video to contact the agency.
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