2 Killed In Mid-Air Chandler Crash Identified

PHOENIX, AZ — The two people who lost their lives in the mid-air collision of a helicopter and an airplane near the Chandler airport last week have been identified, according to a news release from Chandler Police.

They were Michael Papendick, 34, and Jessica Brandal, 27. Both were in the helicopter at the time of the crash on Oct. 1 and were pronounced dead at the scene.

After the collision, the plane managed to safely land at Chandler Municipal Airport but the helicopter crashed into a nearby field, police said. Police did not release the names of the two people in the airplane.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are still investigating the cause of the mid-air collision, according to police.

The helicopter was operated by Quantum Helicopters and the plane was operated by Flight Operations Academy, according to police. Both are flight schools.