Israel pilot, son of Israel space shuttle Columbia crewman, dies in crash

[Liberal_in_LA]

Israel pilot, son of space shuttle Columbia crewman, dies in crash

An Israel air force pilot, the son of an astronaut who died aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 2003, was killed Sunday in an F-16 fighter jet crash, Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

Lt. Assaf Ramon died in the crash near the Israeli community of P'nei Chever in the southern Hebron Hills, the IDF said. The F-16 crashed "during a routine flight as part of the advanced pilot training course," the statement said.

The wreckage of the plane was found by search and rescue forces, the IDF said.

Ramon was posthumously promoted to captain, officials said.

He was the son of Col. Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut.

The elder Ramon died February 1, 2003, with six others aboard the space shuttle Columbia when it broke apart over Texas, minutes before it would have landed in Florida.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/09/13/israel.pilot.killed/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

[TheCentepedeShoes]

1. I just heard it

on the car radio coming home from the store
Very sad

[TiredOldMan]

2. Prayers for that poor Mother that has lost a husband & son.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. So much sadness in that family