Two helicopters collided midair near McMinnville Municipal Airport in McMinnville, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon, killing all three people aboard, officials said. The cause of the McMinnville helicopter collision has not been established.
A Robinson R22 and an Airbus helicopter both crashed in a field next to a highway, according to BBC World. According to CBS News, citing an FAA statement, the collision occurred at about 2:15 p.m. local time.
The Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office said all three people aboard the aircraft were killed, according to CBS News. CBS News identified the flight instructor on the Robinson R22 as Maddie Aasbo, 22, of Texas. It identified the pilot of the Airbus as Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon.
BBC World reported that one helicopter was operated by Jerry Trimble Helicopters, a flight training school based at McMinnville Municipal Airport. The company said it was fully cooperating with investigators.
The sources disagree on who was aboard each helicopter. BBC World says the flight instructor and a UK student pilot were aboard one helicopter, and the sole occupant of the other was killed. The Hindu, citing the FAA, says only the pilot was on the Robinson R22 and that the Airbus H125 carried two people. CBS News first gives the same FAA account, then says two people were aboard the R22. All accounts put the total at three dead, but the split between the aircraft needs confirmation from the FAA or the sheriff’s office.
The name of the British student pilot has not been released. Authorities are working with the consulate and the FBI to notify next of kin.
McMinnville is about 35 miles southwest of Portland and has about 34,000 residents, according to The Hindu. The Hindu, citing the airport’s website, reports that the airport covers 263 hectares and has two paved runways. Homes partly border the airport, which is near the North American Aerospace Museum.
Sources say the cause of the collision was unclear. The BBC requested comment from the FAA and has not reported a response. The Hindu reports that officials had no details about the occupants’ conditions, and no other source has provided an update on that.
The National Transportation Safety Board leads the investigation. Authorities still need to confirm who was aboard each helicopter and identify the British student pilot. Highway 233 is closed near Dayton, and no reopening estimate has been given.
Most of the key details come from BBC World and CBS News, and the occupancy figures have not been confirmed by an official source.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.