Flight Was Retracing Path Of Lewis And Clark

Three people are dead after a Robinson R44 helicopter (file photo of type, right) went down in Oregon over the weekend.

It began Sunday morning, as two helicopters taking part in what's called the "Flight of Discovery" were on approach to Oregon's Port of Astoria. The helos were retracing the steps of 19th Century explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

The weather was foggy and low when the pilot of one helo reported the other had disappeared.

The Coast Guard immediately sent an H-60 Jayhawk and two 47-foot boats to the scene... where rescuers found an oil slick, some wreckage, and three bodies.

The Flight of Discovery is a four-year project tracing the Lewis and Clark expedition's path from Missouri to the West Coast and back. The group of about 40 or so is comprised of scientists, historians video crews and pilots.

"All of us are very much shaken, upset and just shocked," group member Wendi Goldsmith told San Diego's NBC-7. "But there are some us who feel like it would be the wishes of the deceased to push on and culminate the last leg of a process that has lasted four years."

**   Report created 8/14/2006   Record 1 

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IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 168PT        Make/Model: R44       Description: R-44 Astro
  Date: 08/13/2006     Time: 1530

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
  City: ASTORIA   State: OR   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  N168PT, A ROBINSON R44 ROTORCRAFT, CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES INTO
  THE OCEAN ONE MILE OFF THE COAST, THE THREE PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY
  INJURED, WEST OF ASTORIA, OR

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   3
                 # Crew:   2     Fat:   2     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: AST METAR 131455Z AUTO 00000KT 5SM BR OVC004 13/12 A3007

OTHER DATA

  Departed: VANCOUVER, WA               Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination: VANCOUVER, WA            Flt Plan:              Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: PORTLAND, OR  (NM09)                  Entry date: 08/14/2006

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.flightofdiscovery.com