In the aftermath of the First Lebanon War, Israeli troops remained in a security zone in Southern Lebanon. To supply the troops and rotate new soldiers into Lebanon, helicopters were used extensively. Two Sikorsky S 65C-3 called Yas'ur by the Israeli airforce were scheduled to ferry troops into Lebanon on February 3, but the flight was canceled due to poor weather. When the weather improved on the 4th, the flight was approved to go forward. Two helicopters flew from their base at Tel Nof to Rosh Pinna, where the troops were loaded aboard. One held 32 passengers, and the other 33 both had a crew of four. At 6:48, they took off. It was not until 6:56 that air traffic control gave permission for the aircraft to enter Lebanon. Before they could, they collied over moshav She'ar Yashuv. The rotor of one aircraft struck the second tail causing both to lose control and crash. All of the soldiers aboard, as well as all of the crew, died.

It was the worse air disaster in Israel's history, and the country was overcome with mourning.