Pilot killed in plane crash at Van Nuys intersection was a longtime JPL scientist

The pilot killed in a small plane crash at a Van Nuys intersection Friday afternoon was a longtime scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory who specialized in designing robotics for exploring the surfaces of other planets.

Alberto Enrique Behar, 47, was killed when the plane he was piloting went down at the corner of Hayvenhurst Avenue and Vanowen Street around 1:14 p.m., shortly after taking off from Van Nuys Airport, FAA spokesman Ian Gregor confirmed.

Behar was the lone occupant of the plane, a single-engine Lancair, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Behar, who earned a master’s degree in computer science and held a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California, was a member of JPL’s Mobility and Robotic Systems Section since 1991, according to his JPL biography. The division specializes in developing and testing instruments and robotics for exploring the surfaces of other planets.

Behar was also a faculty member at the International Space University and a researcher at Arizona State University, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He was a resident of Scottsdale, Ariz., where his plane was also registered, the Times reports. He was a certified pilot, flight instructor and mechanic, according to the FAA’s online database.

The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the crash, Gregor said in an email.