Three Dead After Two Helicopters Collide Near McMinnville, Oregon

A midair collision between two helicopters in rural Oregon killed all three people on board Thursday afternoon, leaving wreckage across a farm field near McMinnville Municipal Airport.

The Yamhill County Sheriff's Office confirmed the deaths of a Texas flight instructor, an Oregon pilot and a student pilot from the United Kingdom.

Sheriff Sam Elliott identified the instructor as Maddie Aasbo, 22, and the other pilot as Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon. Authorities withheld the British student's name while they worked to notify next of kin.

According to the sheriff's release, Aasbo and the student were aboard a 1995 Robinson R22, while Sturdevant was alone in a 2018 Airbus AS350B3. That corrected earlier information that had the occupants in the opposite aircraft.

Witnesses called the Yamhill Communications Agency at about 2:10 p.m., according to the sheriff's office, though other reports placed the call a few minutes later and news coverage generally put the collision around 2:15.

Yamhill County deputies, McMinnville police and Oregon State Police troopers found both helicopters down in a field next to Highway 233, southeast of McMinnville. Medical and law enforcement personnel confirmed that all three occupants had died.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with the Federal Aviation Administration also involved, CNN reported. Investigators described the Robinson flight as instructional and the Airbus flight as a maintenance flight. No cause had been established.

One of the aircraft was operated by Jerry Trimble Helicopters, a flight training and private rental company. The company confirmed its involvement, said it was cooperating with authorities and expressed sympathy for those affected.

Leo Rodriguez, who was working on a barn roof at the time, told CNN affiliate KPTV he heard a loud impact and metal breaking before seeing the helicopters fall, twisting as they came down.

Images described in CNN's coverage showed one red helicopter broken into pieces and a green helicopter overturned in the field.

The Oregon Department of Transportation closed part of Highway 233, and the sheriff's office asked drivers to avoid the area. The Associated Press reported that McMinnville Airport remained open.

Please keep the families of the victims in your prayers.