While the mid-air crash above Queen Creek Road near Chandler Municipal Airport yesterday, Oct. 1, remains in the early stages of investigation, there are many unknowns as to what went wrong.
The crash, which happened around 7:45 a.m., took two lives in the helicopter.
One of those was Mike Papendick, 34, who started the Quantum Helicopters flight school in late August. He leaves behind a wife, Becca, and 11-month-old daughter, Aubrey.
Officials with the Chandler Fire Department said a fixed-wing plane collided with the helicopter. While the plane safely landed near the airport runway at 2380 S. Stinson Way, the helicopter crashed near Queen Creek Road and caught fire. The plane, also with two people aboard, was operated by Flight Operations Academy.
The Federal Aviation Administration released the following statement on Friday after the incident:
"A single-engine Piper PA-28 and a Robinson R22 helicopter collided in the vicinity of Chandler Municipal Airport in Arizona around 7:42 a.m. local time today. The helicopter crashed near the airport, and the airplane landed safely on the runway with damaged landing gear. Initial reports indicate two people were aboard each aircraft.
The FAA will release the tail numbers after investigators verify them. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide additional updates. Neither agency identifies people involved in aircraft accidents."
