Actor and Pilot Guy Kapulnik Among 2 Killed in Southern California Plane Crash

Actor and pilot Guy Kapulnik, 46, was one of two people killed when a small aircraft crashed into a field in Southern California last week, authorities said.

The crash occurred on Sept. 24, near the intersection of Summit Valley Road and Telephone Canyon Road in the Hesperia area of San Bernardino County.

Emergency crews were called to the scene shortly before 10 a.m. local time, after witnesses reported seeing the aircraft descend and strike the ground.

Kapulnik, a Los Angeles resident, was identified as the pilot. The passenger was identified as 33-year-old Taylor Laska of Santa Monica. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department confirmed to The Epoch Times.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) identified the aircraft as a single-engine Aeronca 7AC Champion. Images from the crash scene showing the plane in a field in a steep, nose-down position. The crash site was located roughly 2.5 to 3 miles from Hesperia Airport.

“Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those involved during this difficult time,” the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District wrote in a statement on X.

The exact cause of the crash has not been determined. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the NTSB are investigating the incident.

A preliminary FAA report listed the circumstances surrounding the crash as unknown, meaning investigators have not yet established what caused the aircraft to go down.

In a statement to The Epoch Times, the NTSB said a preliminary report is expected within 30 days of the crash and will include factual information gathered during the initial phase of the investigation. A final report, expected within 12 to 24 months, will identify the probable cause of the crash and any contributing factors.

Kapulnik had pursued careers in both entertainment and aviation. Born in Israel, he studied acting at the Nissan Nativ Acting Studio in Jerusalem. He also served in the Israel Defense Forces in its elite 669 search and rescue unit.

Kapulnik appeared in a number of Israeli productions, including “Room 514,” “Salsa Tel Aviv,” and “Lebanon.” He continued his acting career after moving to the United States, with credits including the 2020 film “Hacked” and “The Call of the Wild.”

Beyond acting, Kapulnik developed a career in aviation and worked as a certified flight instructor in California. Speaking to The Times of Israel, his family described him as “a man of action, curiosity, and adventure.”

“An actor and creator, a skipper and seaman,” his family said. “Throughout his life, he moved between the stage and the camera, the sea and the skies, and dared again and again to choose new paths and do the things he loved.”