Three men killed in a small plane crash in Bowie, Md., on Saturday night have been identified as Israeli citizens.

Yoav Bomrind, 26, David Rabinovitz, 19, and Elad Neidik, 20, boarded a single-engine Piper Cherokee plane in Ocean City, N.J., and were headed to the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, just outside of Washington, D.C. The plane, which was reportedly operated by a Montgomery County-based flight school, crashed shortly before midnight in a heavily wooded area, just feet from a residential neighborhood in Bowie, The Baltimore Banner reported. 

Maryland State Police confirmed the men were aboard a training flight. The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration. 

Bomrind was adopted from Ukraine at the age of one and raised in Zichron Yaakov, Israel. His father said he had traveled to the U.S. to pursue his dream of becoming a pilot. “He was a beautiful, smart young man and the best son parents could ask for,” his father told Israeli media, adding that Bomrind was a volunteer with Israel Police. 

Hours before he was killed, Bomrind reportedly posted a story on Instagram about his friend, Sgt. First Class Nir Ben Ari, who had fallen in battle in Lebanon, writing “Unbelievable, we grew up together” with a broken heart emoji.

“Israel’s Consul in Washington and the Department for Israelis Abroad at the Foreign Ministry are accompanying the families during this difficult time, maintaining continuous contact with them, and assisting with coordination and communication with the local authorities,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. 

Representatives of ZAKA, a Jewish volunteer recovery organization, are also helping with arrangements to bring the victims to burial.

“From the moment we received notification of this tragedy, our volunteers mobilized to provide assistance and support,” said Yanky Landau, ZAKA North America commander. “Our volunteers worked tirelessly to ensure that the victims were treated with the utmost dignity and that their families received the support they needed during an unimaginable moment of loss. These situations are never easy, but the responsibility we carry is clear — to honor the deceased and stand beside families when they need us most.”

According to ZAKA, Bomrind and Rabinovitz, who is from Haifa, will be buried in Israel, while Neidik will be buried in Toronto.