Three Killed in Oregon Helicopter Mid-Air Collision
A collision between two helicopters near McMinnville Municipal Airport resulted in the deaths of a flight instructor, a pilot, and a British student.
Three people died Thursday afternoon when two helicopters collided in mid-air over Oregon. The crash occurred just before 2:15 p.m. near McMinnville Municipal Airport.
Authorities identified two of the victims as flight instructor Maddie Aasbo, 22, of Texas, and Tyler Sturdevant, 38, of Oregon. An unnamed British student pilot was also among the deceased. The Yamhill County Sheriff's Office extended its condolences to the victims' families.
The incident involved a 1995 Robinson R22 helicopter and a 2018 Airbus AS350 B3 helicopter. Both aircraft went down in a privately owned farm field. Images from the scene showed one helicopter in pieces and the other mangled nearby.
A witness who was on the roof of a nearby barn reported seeing the collision and the subsequent crash, prompting an immediate 911 call.
The Oregon Department of Transportation reported that all lanes of Route 223 were closed for a period following the crash, advising motorists to seek alternate routes. McMinnville Fire District crews responded to the scene.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the mid-air collision.