A pilot and teenager, a German exchange student who died when a helicopter crashed in a field in North Yorkshire, were honored.
Police have confirmed that Ian MacDonald, 66, died in a crash near his home in the village of Burton in Lonsdale shortly before noon on Monday.
The other victim of the crash was 16-year-old student Admarsu Birhan, who locals say has lived with his family for the past three months.
Craven District Councilor Stuart Handley, who lives in Burton, Lonsdale, said McDonald was very popular in the village.
He told the PA news agency: “My condolences are to the family of Ian MacDonald, as well as to the family of the German exchange student.
“Ian has not lived in the village for a long time, but he is very well known in the community. He was a very beloved man in the village. “
Handley said Burton in Lonsdale is a friendly village and MacDonald is often seen in his shop and pub.
“He’ll call me if I see him outside and I’ll go talk to him,” he said. “Either in the store, if he drank coffee, or a bite from the local. It fits well. ”
MacDonald was reportedly coming to land his own Guimbal Cabri G2 plane near his home when the crash occurred in a field near the village, which is near the border with Lancashire and Cumbria.
North Yorkshire police said Tuesday: “The investigation into the full circumstances of the helicopter crash near Burton in Lonsdale is ongoing.
“We can now provide the names of those we believe are the two who unfortunately died in the crash.
“We think it was a local man, Ian MacDonald, 66, and Admarsu Birhan, 16, a German citizen. Formal identification is yet to come. “
Officers from the Air Accident Investigation Branch were at the crash site on Tuesday as the investigation continued.
Peter Thompson, chairman of Burton’s Lonsdale Parish Council, said earlier: “We are a rural community of about 600 people. When something like this happens, it’s obviously alarming. It’s very sad for everyone involved. “
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