McMINNVILLE, Ore. — Three people were killed Thursday afternoon following a midair collision between two helicopters southeast of McMinnville, according to local law enforcement.
Emergency dispatchers received multiple calls around 2:10 p.m. reporting that two helicopters had crashed near the intersection of Southeast Amity-Dayton Highway (Highway 233) and Southeast Cruickshank Road.
First responders from the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office, McMinnville Police Department, and Oregon State Police arrived to find the wreckage of both aircraft in an open field adjacent to Highway 233.
Authorities identified the aircraft as a 1995 Robinson R22 and a 2018 Airbus AS350B3. Medical and emergency personnel confirmed that all occupants aboard both helicopters died at the scene.
Aboard the two-seat Robinson R22 were flight instructor Maddie Aasbo, 22, of Texas, and a student pilot visiting from the United Kingdom. Officials are withholding the student’s identity pending notification of family members.
The sole occupant and pilot of the Airbus AS350B3 was identified as Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon.
The cause of the collision remains under investigation. Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) responded to the site Thursday afternoon and are leading the federal probe into the incident.
