The son of the director of the Howard County Board of Elections and of a professional helicopter pilot was killed last week when the helicopter he was flying crashed in Washington County.

Jeffrey Nordaas, 24, of the 9700 block of Owen Brown Road, in Columbia, was pronounced dead at the scene of the July 23 crash on Interstate 70 near Boonsboro, according to Maryland State Police.

Jeffrey was the son of Betty Nordaas, who oversees county, state, local and national elections in Howard County.

Arnstein Nordaas, 50, Nordaas' father, said his son was a licensed helicopter pilot who, at the time of the crash, was piloting a sightseeing ride for Advanced Helicopter Youth Foundation, to raise money for at-risk youths.

The younger Nordaas was employed as a flight instructor by Advanced Helicopter Concepts, in Frederick, his father said.

Arnstein Nordaas said he taught his son how to fly helicopters last year. He said he himself operates rescue helicopters for Canadian Helicopter Co., in the North Sea near Norway.

Arnstein, a native Norwegian, said his son, although born in the United States, was close to his Norwegian roots and had studied Norwegian at St. Olaf College, in Northfield, Minn.

Jeffrey Nordaas graduated in 2008 from St. Olaf, his father said, where he had majored in Norwegian and economics and had played ice hockey. He had graduated in 2004 from Kent School, a prep school in Connecticut, his father said.

Arnstein Nordaas said Jeffrey was his only son and stood to inherit the family home in northern Norway currently occupied by Arnstein's parents.

"He was supposed to inherit all of my stuff in Norway, where my father and mother lived and where I grew up and everything. He's my only son, my only child," Arnstein Nordaas said.

The older Nordaas said he had encouraged his son to establish ties to his Norwegian roots from an early age. "He had no choice. Having only one child. There was no other. He knew that the ties with Norway were to be forever," he said.

Jeffrey Nordaas was living with his parents in Columbia prior to his death, his father said.

Also killed in the crash were Kim R. Felix, 48, of New Market, Niall R.Y. Booth, 43, of New Market, and George H. Tutor Jr., 39, of Westminster, according to police.

The crash occurred on the eastbound lane of I-70 near the Frederick County line at about 10:30 p.m., police said.

Police did not release any information about the cause of the crash, and referred questions to the National Transportation Safety Board.

Board spokesman Keith Holloway said earlier this week that the cause of the crash had not yet been determined and the investigation is ongoing.

In addition to his parents, Jeffrey Nordaas is survived by half-brothers Michael Hart, Robert Hart and Daniel Hart; grandparents Ardis and Steinar Nordaas; nieces Meaghan Hart, Madison Hart, Annabel Hart, Caroline Hart and nephews Benjamin Hart and Matthew Hart; as well as numerous cousins.

Family will receive friends at Witzke Funeral Home, at 5555 Twin Knolls Road, in Columbia, July 30 from 7 to 9 p.m. and July 31 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Services will be held July 31 at 4:30 p.m. at Witzke Funeral Home.

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