NTSB Report Details Final Moments Before Fatal MD Plane Crash

BOWIE, MD — A pilot declared an emergency and tried to divert to Freeway Airport in Bowie before the small plane he was operating crashed in a wooded area, killing all three people aboard, according to a preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report.

The report, released by the NTSB on Wednesday, details the final moments before the plane crashed in a Bowie neighborhood on June 20.

Yoav Bomrind, 26, of Israel, died in the crash along with his two passengers, 19-year-old David Rabinovitz, of Israel, and 20-year-old Elad Naidik, of Canada, Maryland State Police said.

While the report revealed new information, it does not specify the cause of the crash.

According to the report, the Piper PA-28-181 plane was returning to Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg from Ocean City, New Jersey, when the pilot reported he was near Fort Meade, activated the aircraft's emergency transponder and requested to land at Freeway Airport.

Air traffic controllers provided directions, but the pilot's last transmission said he did not have the airport in sight before radar contact was lost.

The plane crashed in a heavily wooded area, where investigators said both wings had separated from the fuselage, broken tree branches were scattered along the wreckage path, and the engine remained attached despite significant impact damage. The cockpit was also crushed.

The wreckage was retained for further examination, officials said.

Records show Bomrind had earned his private pilot certification less than three weeks before the fatal flight; however, the National Transportation Safety Board has not stated who was flying the plane when it went down.

Related:

• New Details Emerge After 3 Killed In MD Plane Crash
• Israeli Pilot, 2 Passengers Identified In Plane Crash In Bowie
• Small Plane Crashes Near Bowie Residential Neighborhood
  

Plane Crashed In Bowie Neighborhood

The aircraft was found around 3:45 a.m. the morning after the crash in a residential area off of Scarlett Oak Court in Bowie. Forensic analysts from the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division responded to process the scene for evidence.

There were no other injuries reported, according to Maryland State Police.

Following the crash, volunteers with ZAKA North America, along with members of Misaskim of Central Jersey and Misaskim of Baltimore, worked alongside local authorities and emergency agencies to "ensure proper Kavod HaMeit, assisting with the recovery efforts, handling of remains and the sensitive arrangements required following the tragedy."

Kavod HaMeit, Hebrew for "honor for the deceased," is a longstanding Jewish principle that calls for treating the dead with dignity and respect. It guides funeral and burial practices such as respectfully caring for the body, avoiding unnecessary delays before burial when possible, and ensuring the deceased is handled with care throughout the process.