Aerial Expedition’s Tragedy

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The Flight of Discovery will go on, its organizers say, despite the loss of three members of the expedition on Sunday morning, when their Robinson R44 helicopter went down off the foggy Oregon coast. Two helicopters were flying together from Washington state, with 100-foot ceilings and about a half-mile visibility reported. The pilot of the other helicopter called the Coast Guard after losing contact with the R44. The crash site was found about a mile offshore. The Flight of Discovery is a team of general-aviation pilots and scientists who will fly the route of the Lewis and Clark expedition during the 200th anniversary of their trek, in an effort to inspire an interest in history and science. The expedition members plan to document and evaluate environmental changes along the route, with reference to the 200-year old historical record kept by Lewis and Clark. Those who were killed were pilot Peter Simson, photographer Tod Lilburn, and Carol Forrest, the wife of the leader of the Flight of Discovery. All were from California.

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