The millionaire Israeli soccer star and his wife, who died in a plane crash in the California mountains over the weekend, have been photographed for the first time.
Liron and Naomi Petrushka were found in the wreckage of their Socata TBM9 plane near Truckee Tahoe Airport around 6:40 p.m. Saturday, according to the FAA.
According to airport officials, the single-engine plane sank while attempting to land after more than two hours in transit. The cause is under investigation.
Liron, 57, and Naomi, 58, who lived in Nevada with their three children, departed Centennial Airport in Denver, Colorado, around 4:20 p.m. before heading west.
Conditions were moderately snowy at the time of the accident and there was visibility of a half mile, according to KCRA-TV.
The millionaire Israeli soccer star and his wife, who died in a plane crash in the California mountains over the weekend, have been photographed for the first time. (Pictured: Naomi Petrushka)
Before launching his impressive career as a technology investor, Liron Petrushka started out playing soccer for the Israeli team Hapoel Ramat Gan Givatayim.
According to the airport, the single-engine plane sank while attempting to land after more than two hours of transit. The cause of the crash is under investigation
Liron and Naomi Petrushka were found in the wreckage of their Socata TBM9 near Truckee Tahoe Airport around 6:40 p.m. Saturday, according to the FAA.
According to Nexis records, the Petrushkas had been living in exclusive Incline Village, which overlooks Lake Tahoe in Nevada and abuts the California border, since 2000.
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, the Petrushkas remained on board to oversee the company’s transition into new hands.
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.
Before launching his impressive career as a technology investor, Liron 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.”
Pictured: Debris on the ground following the crash near Truckee, California.
The Israeli couple had moved to California and are survived by three children.
His friend and business partner, Iddo Tal, also described Liron as “super humble despite all his success” in a heartbreaking tribute to the couple on Facebook.
The Israeli couple was found in the wreckage of their Socata TBM9 plane (model pictured) near Truckee Tahoe Airport around 6:40 p.m. Saturday, according to the FAA.
According to Truckee Tahoe Airport, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the crash.
His friend and business partner, Iddo Tal, also described Liron as “super humble despite all his success” in a heartbreaking tribute to the couple on Facebook.
“Today we woke up to the sad news of the tragic deaths of Liron and Naomi Petrushka,” Tal wrote on Sunday.
‘Liron was a great guy and super humble despite all his success.
‘It was an honor to have him as one of the investors in my startup and I learned a lot from him.
‘We also had fun times together.
‘Two of my favorite memories: his surprised reaction when I showed him our first beta version of Invi with its real-time AR camera filters and the second, the fun trip we had on his plane from Sonoma to Palo Alto over the skyscrapers of San Francisco.
‘I will miss you my friend. RIP. “My heart goes out to the family and their sons David, Scott and Jordan.”
Liron was a pilot licensed to fly private and commercial aircraft, according to Nexis.
He had a single-engine, six-seat Piper model PA-32-300 airplane registered in his name from 2004 to 2008, records show.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident that killed the couple on Saturday.
It is not known what caused the collision. Visibility was approximately half a mile at the time.
Investigators have been sifting through debris at the crash site to determine the cause.
The Petrushkas, who have three children, departed Centennial Airport in Denver, Colorado, around 4:20 p.m., before heading west.
In a statement to the Times of Israel, the football club’s president said: “The club bows its head over the death of Liron Petrushka (pictured) and his wife.”
The plane carrying the Petrushkas crashed in Truckee, near the Nevada state line.
After the crash, 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,” the department said.
“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.”
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 added that the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will be investigating the situation.
