ASTORIA, Ore. – A helicopter crashed in foggy weather off the Oregon coast Sunday, killing two men and a woman from Southern California, the Coast Guard said.
The helicopter was one of two civilian choppers that had been flying in tandem on what Coast Guard officials believe was a sightseeing trip. The weather was foggy with visibility of about a half mile, Coast Guard Lt. Brooks Crawford said.
The pilot of the other helicopter called the Coast Guard, saying he had lost communications with the downed chopper, Crawford said.
The helicopter that crashed about a mile off the coast was a Robinson R44, which can carry three or four people, Crawford said.
Coast Guard crews recovered the bodies. Their identities were being withheld until relatives were notified, Crawford said.
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