Flight History
On Friday, September 8, 2023, at 15:30, a solo pilot departed from the Rishon Lezion airstrip in a Texan Top Class 2 RG light sport aircraft (registration 4X-HYT) for a commercial aerial photography mission over agricultural areas in southern Israel. The aircraft, equipped with a retractable landing gear, was operated under commercial use. The flight was the third of the day; earlier flights had been uneventful.
During the climb, while crossing 4,800 feet above sea level, the engine began to stutter. The pilot stopped the climb and performed maneuvers intended to assist fuel pumps in transferring fuel to the engine. Concurrently, he began preparing for a landing at the Hatzor military airstrip.
Engine Failure and Belly Landing
At an altitude of approximately 2,400 feet, the engine failed completely. The pilot attempted to restart the engine nine times without success. At about 400 feet (roughly 250 feet above ground level), the pilot lowered the landing gear according to his statement, then lowered the flaps. After full flap extension, he realized the landing gear had not deployed. With the engine off, he executed a belly landing on runway 05 at Hatzor. No injuries were reported.
Aircraft Damage
Minimal damage occurred: the front wheel (which protrudes outward when raised) was worn, and the wingtip flaps and belly of the aircraft sustained slight scraping.
Investigation
The pilot reported the incident to the Aircraft Safety Investigation Authority Israel (AIAI), which initiated an investigation. The report noted that the ambient temperature near departure was around 40°C, and the aircraft carried both aviation fuel 100LL and automobile fuel MOGAS 95 octane. The investigation examined potential causes including vapor lock, fuel temperature, and aircraft systems, but the provided source does not state a definitive probable cause.