Search Here

An Israeli tech entrepreneur and his wife were killed in a plane accident near the California-Nevada border on Saturday night, March 30. The disaster occurred when the couple's high-performance aircraft tried to land in a blizzard, according to authorities.

Tragic Plane Accident Claims Lives of Israeli Software Mogul, Wife

At around 6:40 PM local time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that Liron and Naomi Petrushka's single-engine Socata TBM9 went down near a railway on the route to Truckee Tahoe Airport. Three children are left behind by the couple.

Although there was no recorded dwelling damage, a train station did note that the rails near the accident scene needed repairs, as reported by The New York Post.

According to KCRA, there was not much wind, but snowfall reduced visibility to approximately half a mile. Radio transmissions analyzed by the Sacramento Bee reveal that while attempting to fly the plane through the bad weather, pilot Liron and radar controllers in Oakland spoke for a few minutes about it.

CBS Colorado said that Centennial Airport in south Denver was the starting point for the couple's tragic flight to Truckee, 30 miles from Reno, Nevada.

Following the tragic incident, investigations by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are anticipated.

Who Are Liron and Naomi Petrushka?

In a statement, the Silicon Valley business where Liron worked expressed its deepest condolences for the couple's untimely passing. "Our hearts are with the Petrushka family and their sons David, Scott, and Jordan," said UpWest, a startup fund that invests in Israeli companies.

In 2012, Liron became a partner at UpWest. In 2017, he became an adviser to the firm. His LinkedIn profile boasted that he was an angel investor and software entrepreneur with a lengthy history of success.

According to the company, Liron and Naomi have been a driving force behind its development and success. "They brought their entrepreneurial spirit and generosity to our fund, working with us and our founders on many pivotal milestones. Their home was always open as were their big hearts. We are all heartbroken by this loss," UpWest said in a statement.

Liron once played pro soccer in Israel. Hapoel Ramat Gan Givatayim, his previous soccer team, also expressed mourning over the couple's deaths.

v