Pilot In Deadly MD Plane Crash Had License Less Than 3 Weeks, Records Show

BOWIE, MD — The pilot commandeering the single engine Piper Cherokee that crashed Saturday in a Bowie neighborhood had earned his private pilot certification less than three weeks before the fatal flight.

Online FAA records show that 26-year-old Yoav Bomrind of Israel received his certification June 3. Bomrind 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.

The National Transportation Safety Board has not stated who was flying the plane when it went down. The cause of the crash could take more than a year to determine, officials noted.

On Sunday, 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.

“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.”

Plane Departed NJ Before Crash

At approximately 11:45 p.m. on June 20, an iPhone crash alert was received by Prince George’s County Public Safety Communications, indicating a crash had happened in the area of Route 50 and 301.

A ground and aerial search for an aircraft was carried out by multiple first responders that included the 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.

The aircraft was found early Sunday morning at approximately 3:45 a.m. in a wooded area close to 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.

The three men on board were pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical service personnel.

The preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 11:30 p.m. June 20, the three men were en route from Ocean City, New Jersey, to the Montgomery County Air Park, when the plane crashed into a wooded area in Bowie. There were no other injuries reported, according to Maryland State Police.

Investigators stated that the plane belonged to the Washington International Flight Academy in Gaithersburg.

ZAKA is working with the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Israeli Consulate in Washington to repatriate the remains of Bomrind and Rabinovitz to Israel. It is also working with communal organizations to facilitate the transport of Neidik’s remains to Toronto, where he will be laid to rest.

“This tragedy is a reminder that ZAKA’s work extends wherever Jewish families and communities are facing crisis,” said ZAKA Search and Rescue CEO Dubi Weissenstern. “Our volunteers around the world stand ready to assist in moments of devastation — whether responding to disasters, accidents or mass casualty events — with one mission: to preserve dignity, provide support and ensure that no family faces these moments alone. We are deeply grateful to our volunteers, our partners and the organizations who continue to help us carry out this sacred responsibility.”