The army said that an investigative committee has been set up to examine the causes and that all F-16 training flights have been suspended until further notice.

Assaf Ramon, 21, was the eldest son of Colonel Ilan Ramon, the only Israeli astronaut thus far, who was killed with six other crew members when their space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry Feb 1, 2003.

Following his father's death, Assaf vowed to follow his father's steps and become a pilot and even an astronaut. He excelled in the military training course for pilots, and received his pilot's wings from President Shimon Peres in June. The young pilot reportedly escaped another plane accident half a year ago during a routine training flight.