Three people died Thursday when two helicopters collided midair near McMinnville Municipal Airport in Yamhill County, Oregon.
The collision involved a Robinson R22 helicopter and an Airbus AS350 helicopter. It occurred around 2:15 p.m. local time, and both aircraft crashed into a privately owned farm field adjacent to Highway 233 southeast of McMinnville.
Yamhill County Sheriff Sam Elliott identified the victims as 22-year-old flight instructor Maddie Aasbo of Texas, 38-year-old pilot Tyler Delane Sturdevant of Newberg, Oregon, and an unnamed student pilot from the United Kingdom. Aasbo and the student were aboard the Robinson R22, while Sturdevant flew alone in the Airbus.
One of the aircraft belonged to Jerry Trimble Helicopters, a flight training school based at the airport. The company stated it was deeply saddened by the incident and was cooperating with investigators.
Emergency responders closed portions of Highway 233 and nearby roads following the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are leading the investigation into the cause.
McMinnville is located about 40 miles southwest of Portland. Officials said recovery efforts at the scene continued into Thursday evening before the area was turned over to federal investigators.
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