Three Killed as Two Helicopters Collide in Midair Near McMinnville Airport in Oregon

Updated 02:46 UTC. All three people aboard the two helicopters died, the Yamhill County sheriff confirmed on Thursday evening. The original report, published before the sheriff spoke, said the conditions of the three aboard were unknown.

All three people aboard two helicopters that collided in midair on Thursday afternoon near McMinnville Municipal Airport in Oregon died in the crash, Yamhill County Sheriff Sam Elliott said at a news conference on Thursday evening. The helicopters came down in a private farm field near Highway 233 and Southeast Stringtown Road, southeast of McMinnville, in rural Dayton.

Elliott identified the two people aboard the Robinson helicopter as Maddie Aasbo, a 22-year-old flight instructor from Texas, and a student pilot from the United Kingdom whose name is being withheld while officials work through the consulate and the FBI to notify family members. The sole occupant of the Airbus helicopter was Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon.

What officials have confirmed

The sheriff's office said it received reports of the crash shortly after 2:10 p.m. local time, and the Federal Aviation Administration put the collision at about 2:15 p.m. Elliott said the aircraft were a 1995 Robinson R22 and a 2018 Airbus AS350B3. The FAA initially reported that only the pilot was aboard the Robinson and that two people were aboard the Airbus. The sheriff's identifications place two people in the Robinson and one person in the Airbus.

Deputies from the sheriff's office responded along with the McMinnville Police Department, Oregon State Police troopers, fire crews and emergency medical personnel. The sheriff's office extended its condolences to the families and friends of Aasbo and Sturdevant.

Flight school statement

Jerry Trimble Helicopters, a flight training school and rental service based at the airport, said one of its aircraft was involved in the crash. The company said it is cooperating with local and federal authorities investigating the collision.

Highway closures around the crash site

The Oregon Department of Transportation said Oregon Route 233 was closed about one mile west of Dayton near the airport because of the crash, and Highway 154 was also closed. Transportation officials warned the closure could be extended and urged drivers to use alternate routes, with no estimate for reopening.

Local roads around the crash site were also closed as responders worked in the area, and the sheriff's office asked residents to stay clear and be patient while crews responded.

Federal investigation

Elliott said the crash scene has been turned over to the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB will lead the investigation into the collision, according to the FAA. Officials have not said what caused the two helicopters to collide, and no account of the flight paths or the moments before the collision has been released.

About the airport and the area

McMinnville is a city of about 34,000 people about 40 miles southwest of Portland. The municipal airport covers 650 acres and has two paved runways, according to its website. The airport sits near homes and near the museum now known as the North American Aerospace Museum.