Three Killed in Midair Helicopter Collision Near McMinnville, Oregon
Two helicopters collide on a Thursday afternoon, wreckage falls on a farm field
Sheriff confirms no survivors, all three aboard pronounced dead
Yamhill County Sheriff Sam Elliott confirmed at a news conference Thursday night that all three people aboard the two helicopters were killed and there were no survivors. Elliott said two occupants were in the Robinson helicopter and one was in the Airbus, and all three were found dead inside the aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration had said earlier in the day that three people were aboard the two helicopters; the sheriff's nighttime briefing fixed their seating and identities.
Texas instructor and British student in one aircraft, Newberg pilot in the other
The victims were identified as Maddie Aasbo, 22, a flight instructor from Texas, and a student pilot from the United Kingdom, who were flying together in the Robinson R22; and Tyler Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon, who was the sole occupant of the Airbus helicopter. The name of the British student pilot has not been released while authorities work with officials in the United Kingdom to notify the family. The aircraft were described as a 1995 Robinson R22, a two-seat helicopter, and a 2018 Airbus AS350-series helicopter, a type that can carry up to six passengers depending on configuration.
One aircraft turned and fell, tracking ends less than a mile east of the airport
Highway 233 shut near Dayton with no reopening time given
FAA and NTSB take over, cause still unknown
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have taken over the investigation, with the NTSB leading and expected to provide further updates; deputies are securing the scene for the federal investigators. Officials have not stated what caused the collision or named the operators of either helicopter. The presence of a British student pilot among the dead has drawn attention from British media and is expected to figure in the identification and notification process as the investigation proceeds.
