An Israeli couple who had achieved success and renown as investors died Saturday night after their plane crashed in Northern California on Saturday night.
Liron and Naomi Petrushka were attempting to land at Truckee Tahoe Airport at 6:38 p.m. when their plane crashed. The couple died tragically in the accident.
The plane left Centennial Airport in Denver, Colorado, on Saturday around 4:20 p.m., before heading west. The cause of the accident is still unknown.
In a Facebook post, Truckee Tahoe Airport officials said the plane was a “single-engine TBM N960LP aircraft.”
Before joining the world of technology, Liron was a soccer player in Israel.
Liron (pictured) and Naomi Petrushka’s single-engine plane crashed in Northern California around 6:38 p.m.
The plane crashed in Truckee, just off the Nevada state line.
Although the cause of the accident is still unknown, conditions were snowy and there was a visibility range of half a mile.
They noted that although two deaths were known, it was still unclear “how many people were on board.”
Conditions were moderately snowy at the time of the accident and there was visibility of a half mile, according to KCRA-TV.
The Petrushkas, who leave behind four children, have lived in California for several years. They had established themselves as astute technology investors and had a string of successes under their belts.
In 1999, the couple sold their company CommerceBid, which they had founded, for more than $200 million. After the acquisition, Petrushka stayed on board and helped the company that bought CommerceBid.
Truckee police and fire department personnel quickly arrived at the scene.
After CommerceBid, they invested in Check, a company that was later sold to US financial powerhouse Intuit in 2014 for around $360 million.
According CtecThe Petrushkas also invested in the venture capital firm UpWest, an organization that invests in Israeli-led startups located in both Israel and the United States.
The plane carrying the Petrushkas crashed in Truckee, near the Nevada state line.
After the accident, the Truckee Police Department posted on its Facebook page:
‘Truckee police and fire personnel are currently on the scene of a plane crash near the area of ​​Glenshire Drive and Olympic Blvd. At this time there is no threat to any structures or road closures.’
They warned nearby residents that “there will be a heavy emergency services presence in the area for an extended period.”
Liron (pictured) and Naomi Petrushka had distinguished themselves as shrewd entrepreneurs: they sold their company CommerceBid for $200 million in 1999.
The plane left Centennial Airport in Denver, Colorado, around 4:20 p.m. before heading west.
According to Truckee Tahoe Airport, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the crash.
Truckee Tahoe Airport said that after the plane crash, “Truckee Police, Truckee Fire, Nevada County Sheriff, Nevada County Coroner and Truckee Tahoe Airport personnel were on scene.”
They also mentioned that the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will be investigating the situation.
Before launching his impressive career as a technology investor, Liron Petrushka started out playing soccer for the Israeli team Hapoel Ramat Gan Givatayim.
In a statement to Times of Israel, the president of the football club said: “The club bows its head over the death of Liron Petrushka and his wife.”