Downed pilot 'had problems'

The plane came down at a school near the town of Netanya.

The Lebanese pilot of a small civilian plane shot down by Israel on Thursday suffered from "psychological problems", Lebanese Interior Minister Elias Murr has said.

Stephan Nikolian had taken off abruptly from Beirut airport, without permission and died after being shot down by Israeli forces in northern Israel.

The plane's wreckage crashed near a military training school on the Mikhmoret beach, near the town of Netanya, with the pilot's body coming through the ceiling of the assistant director's office.

Mr Nikolian took off without permission

It is still unclear what was the motive behind Mr Nikolian's flight and how he strayed into Israeli airspace.

The Lebanese authorities say they are investigating the case.

"He lived some time abroad... we are gathering information about him from foreign embassies, and general military prosecutor Nasri Lahoud will handle the case," Elias Murr said.

"All we know for the moment is that the instructor asked him to board the plane, make the necessary checks and start the engine, but he took off without authorisation, passing over the wheel chocks and hitting a worker who tried to stop him with the wing."

The pilot's body crashed through an office ceiling

"All the information we have points to the fact that this person had psychological problems," Mr Murr added.

The Israeli army was on high alert at the time for possible cross-border attacks by Lebanese guerrillas to mark the anniversary of its withdrawal from south Lebanon.

Israeli army officials told the BBC that the Cessna aircraft had failed to respond to warnings from Israeli helicopters and warplanes even after a warning shot was fired.

Suicide bomb threat

The army says it took the decision to shoot the aircraft down after it approached populated areas.

"We live under the threat of suicide bombs either on the ground or by sea, and we know the potential of doing that from the air. So after 15 minutes of giving it a chance we decided it was too risky to allow it to continue," Brigadier-General Ron Kitri said.

But the Israeli version was disputed by a Lebanese official who said the aircraft was intercepted over Lebanese territory and forced into Israeli airspace, where it was shot down.

The crash site was cordoned off and an investigation is under way to look for evidence that may establish if the aircraft was a threat.