3 killed as helicopters collide midair near McMinnville, Oregon
Three people have been killed after two helicopters collided midair near McMinnville Municipal Airport in Oregon, according to authorities. The victims included a flight instructor, a student pilot from the United Kingdom and the pilot of the second helicopter.
Witnesses reported the crash at about 2:10 p.m. Thursday near the intersection of Southeast Amity-Dayton Highway, also known as Highway 233, and Southeast Cruickshank Road, southeast of McMinnville, according to the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office. The area is southwest of Portland.
Responders found a 1995 Robinson R22 and a 2018 Airbus AS350B3 in a field beside the highway. Two occupants were aboard the Robinson and one was aboard the Airbus. All three were pronounced dead.
The Robinson’s occupants were identified as flight instructor Maddie Aasbo, 22, of Texas, and a student pilot from the United Kingdom. The student’s name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The sole occupant of the Airbus was identified as Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon.
Photos released by the sheriff’s office showed the mangled wreckage of both helicopters in a field. Witness images posted on social media showed smoke rising from the scene shortly after the crash.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the collision, with the NTSB leading the investigation. The cause was not immediately known.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
