3 dead after 2 helicopters collide midair near Oregon airport, sheriff says
By Emma Tucker, Julianna Bragg, Laura Sharman, CNN
(CNN) — Investigators were combing through debris scattered across a field in northwest Oregon Thursday after two helicopters collided midair, killing three people and forcing the closure of a nearby highway, officials said.
Texas flight instructor Maddie Aasbo, 22, and Oregon pilot Tyler Sturdevant, 38, died in the crash as well as a student pilot from the United Kingdom, Yamhill County Sheriff Sam Elliott said during a news conference.
Aasbo was in one helicopter with the student pilot and Sturdevant was the sole occupant of the other, the sheriff said.
The aircraft crashed to the ground in a private farm field near McMinnville Municipal Airport, officials said, with a red helicopter left crumpled in pieces and a green helicopter lying upside down. McMinnville is about 40 miles southwest of Portland.
A one-mile stretch of nearby Highway 233 was closed due to the crash, the Oregon Department of Transportation said Thursday afternoon, giving no estimate for reopening.
The sheriff’s office asked the public to avoid the area and have “patience as we respond to this critical incident.”
The investigation into the crash, which took place around 2:15 p.m. local time, is being led by the National Transportation Safety Board, according to the FAA, which is also probing the incident. The federal investigators were at the scene Thursday night, the sheriff said.
The two aircraft involved were a Robinson R-22, which was the instructional flight, and an Airbus AS350, which was on a maintenance flight, the NTSB said.
One of the helicopters was operated by Jerry Trimble Helicopters, a helicopter flight training school and rental service for private flights, the company said in a statement.
“Jerry Trimble Helicopters is deeply saddened to confirm that one of our aircraft was involved in an aviation incident this afternoon,” the company said. “Our hearts and thoughts are with the individuals involved, their families, and everyone affected by this event.”
The company added it is cooperating with authorities in the investigation.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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