An Israeli couple, known for their success and reputation as investors, were killed in a plane crash in northern California on Saturday night. Liron and Naomi Petrushka were trying to land at Truckee Tahoe Airport around 6:38 pm when their plane crashed, resulting in the tragic death of the married couple.
The aircraft left Centennial Airport in Denver, Colorado, on Saturday at around 4:20 p.m., before heading west. However, the cause of the crash remains unclear at this time and an investigation into the incident has been launched. According to a Facebook post by Truckee Tahoe airport officials, the aircraft involved in the crash was a “single-engine TBM aircraft N960LP.”
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Before venturing into the tech industry, Liron had a background as a soccer player in Israel. Truckee Tahoe airport officials noted that while there were two confirmed fatalities, it was still uncertain how many people were aboard the aircraft at the time of the crash.
Reportedly, weather conditions at the time of the incident were moderately snowy, with visibility of half a mile, as indicated by KCRA-TV.
The Petrushkas, survived by four children, had been living in California for the past few years. They had earned a reputation as savvy tech investors with a series of successful ventures to their credit.
In 1999, they sold their company CommerceBid, which they co-founded, for more than $200 million. Following the acquisition, the Petrushkas continued to be involved with the company that acquired CommerceBid, providing their expertise and assistance.
Following their success with CommerceBid, the Petrushkas ventured into investing in Check, a company that was later acquired by the American financial giant Intuit in 2014 for roughly $360 million.
According to Ctech, the Petrushkas also made investments in the venture capital firm UpWest, which focuses on backing Israeli-led startups situated in Israel and the United States.
The tragic plane crash involving the Petrushkas occurred in Truckee, near the Nevada state line.
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Following the incident, the Truckee Police Department posted on their Facebook page: “Truckee Police and fire personnel are currently on scene of a plane crash near the area of Glenshire Drive and Olympic Blvd. At this time there is no threat to any structures and no road closures.”
They warned nearby residents that “there will be a heavy presence of emergency responders in the area for an extended period of time.”
The Truckee Tahoe Airport reported that in response to the plane crash, personnel from multiple agencies including the Truckee Police, Truckee Fire, Nevada County Sheriff, Nevada County Coroner, and Truckee Tahoe Airport staff were present at the scene.
Moreover, they mentioned that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would be conducting investigations into the incident.
Before his notable career as a tech investor, Liron Petrushka began his journey by playing soccer for the Israeli team Hapoel Ramat Gan Givatayim.
