MCMINNVILLE, Ore. — Three people were killed when two helicopters collided in midair near Portland, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon, authorities said.
An Airbus H125 and a Robinson R22 collided near McMinnville Municipal Airport around 2:15 p.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration told CBS News.
The Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office said all three people aboard were killed. The two people on the Robinson R22 were identified as 22-year-old flight instructor Maddie Aasbo of Texas and a British student pilot whose name was not released. The Airbus pilot was identified as Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon.
One of the helicopters belonged to Jerry Trimble Helicopters, a flight school based at the airport. “Our hearts and thoughts are with the individuals involved, their families and everyone affected,” the school said.
The aircraft came down in a field near a highway southeast of McMinnville, and nearby roads were closed, according to KTAR News and the Associated Press.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation. McMinnville is about 35 miles southwest of Portland.
Sources: CBS News, Associated Press via KTAR News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Recruit Pablo Chavez / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
