ACTOR GUY KAPULNIK, 46, AND PASSENGER KILLED AFTER SMALL PLANE CRASHES IN CALIFORNIA

Israeli actor and flight instructor Guy Kapulnik, 46, has died alongside passenger Taylor Laska, 33, after a small plane crashed in Southern California.

The single-engine aircraft went down near Hesperia, California, on the morning of September 24, 2026, leaving both people on board dead at the scene.

Authorities were called to the area of Summit Valley Road and Telephone Canyon Road at around 9:53 a.m. after reports of an aircraft crash.

The Federal Aviation Administration identified the aircraft as an Aeronca Champion. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, and no cause has been established.

ACTOR TURNED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR

Kapulnik was known in Israel for his work as an actor before later moving to the United States and pursuing his passion for aviation.

He appeared in several films, including the acclaimed 2009 war drama Lebanon, directed by Samuel Maoz. The film won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.

Kapulnik later obtained his private pilot’s licence and went on to become a flight instructor in Los Angeles.

His career therefore took him between two very different worlds — film and aviation.

His former acting agent, Zohar Jacobson, paid tribute to him after news of his death emerged.

She described Kapulnik as a talented actor and an extraordinary person, remembering him as intelligent, sensitive and modest, with a “huge heart.”

A SECOND LIFE IN AVIATION

According to reports from Israel, Kapulnik had been fascinated by flying from a young age.

After establishing himself as an actor, he increasingly devoted himself to aviation after moving to California.

He became a commercial pilot and flight instructor, combining his work in the industry with his long-standing interest in flying.

Kapulnik was also reported to have served in Israel’s elite search-and-rescue unit 669 earlier in his life.

His family has been left mourning a man remembered not only for his acting career, but also for his adventurous spirit and passion for aviation.

He is survived by his wife and three children, according to reports.

TAYLOR LASKA ALSO DIED IN THE CRASH

The passenger was identified as Taylor Laska, 33, of Santa Monica.

Local authorities confirmed that both Kapulnik and Laska died at the scene.

The relationship between the two has not been publicly established, and investigators have not announced what led to the aircraft coming down.

The aircraft was reportedly associated with Midfield Aviation, based at Apple Valley Airport.

Investigators from the FAA and NTSB are now working to determine what happened before the plane crashed into the field near Hesperia.

QUESTIONS REMAIN AFTER THE CRASH

The wreckage was found in a remote, shrub-covered area near Summit Valley Road.

Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft descend before it struck the ground, although the precise circumstances remain under investigation.

At this stage, authorities have not announced a cause for the crash.

For those who knew Kapulnik, however, the investigation is now taking place against the backdrop of a much more personal loss.

A man who had built a career in front of the camera before pursuing his passion for flight has died doing what had become another important part of his life.

Tributes continue to emerge as family, friends and colleagues remember Guy Kapulnik and Taylor Laska, whose lives ended in the California crash.