Authorities identify 2 killed in Chandler helicopter-plane collision
Oct 8, 2021, 7:30 AM
CHANDLER, Ariz. — Authorities have identified the two people killed last week when a helicopter collided midair with a single-engine airplane outside a suburban Phoenix airport.
The Chandler Police Department said Thursday that 34-year-old Michael Papendick and 27-year-old Jessica Brandal died at the scene by Chandler Municipal Airport last Friday.
Police are not releasing the names of the two people who were on the plane, but neither was injured at the scene near McQueen and Queen Creek roads.
The Chandler Fire Department received reports of a fire in a brush field next to the airport that morning. Crews discovered the helicopter’s burning wreckage and were able to put the fire out quickly.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration continue to investigate the incident.
The chopper was operated by Quantum Helicopters and the plane by Flight Operations Academy. Both are flight schools, according to police. The owner of Flight Operations Academy had said a flight instructor and student were in the plane.
Chandler Municipal Airport is considered one of the nation’s 50 busiest general aviation airports with more than 200,000 flight operations a year, according to the East Valley city’s tourism office.
