Israeli actor Guy Kapolnik identified as pilot killed in California small plane crash

Israeli actor Guy Kapolnik was killed on Thursday when his single-engine Aeronca 7AC Champion aircraft crashed into a field in Hesperia, California, according to the Victorville Daily Press.

The report cited San Bernardino County coroner's officials, who identified the 46-year-old Los Angeles resident as the aircraft's pilot on Monday.

The officials further identified Kapolnik's passenger, 33-year-old Santa Monica resident Taylor Laska, who was also killed in the crash.

Kapolnik was known for film roles in Room 514, Hacked, The Call of the Wild, and Lebanon, according to the film review website IMDb.

According to his Instagram page, he was a Certified Flight Instructor, with one photo showing him holding up a graduation certificate from an Airline Transport Pilot Certification Training Program (ATP CTP) course. This suggests he possessed at minimum a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) for both single- and multi-engined airplanes, as well as an Instrument Rating.

Several witnesses called emergency services at the time of the crash to report seeing the aircraft fall from the sky and impact the field, according to the report.

First responders pronounced the then-unidentified victims dead from their injuries at the scene, finding the aircraft's wreckage in a nose-down position, the report cited San Bernardino County Fire Department (SBCFD) officials as saying.

FAA preliminary report: Crash caused by 'unknown circumstances'

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are still investigating the crash, and a preliminary FAA report lists the cause as "unknown circumstances."

According to the Victorville Daily Press, the aircraft, built in 1946, had a valid airworthiness certificate, meaning it was certified for flight by an appropriately licensed pilot. 

"Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those involved during this difficult time," the SBCFD said following the identification of the victims.