Three die as helicopters collide near Oregon airport

Three people died when two helicopters collided in midair Thursday afternoon near McMinnville Municipal Airport in Oregon, authorities said. Both aircraft came down in a field beside a highway, and investigators have not determined what caused the crash.

The aircraft were a Robinson R22 and an Airbus H125. The Federal Aviation Administration said the collision happened at about 2:15 p.m. local time, according to CBS News. McMinnville is about 35 miles southwest of Portland.

The Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office identified two of the people killed as Maddie Aasbo, a 22-year-old flight instructor from Texas, and Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon. A student pilot from the United Kingdom also died. Authorities have not publicly released the student’s name; the BBC reported that they were working with the consulate and the FBI to notify the student’s next of kin.

The sheriff’s office said Aasbo and the student pilot were aboard the Robinson R22, while Sturdevant was the sole occupant of the Airbus. An initial FAA statement provided to CBS News gave a different account of who was aboard each aircraft, saying the Robinson carried only its pilot and the Airbus carried two people.

Multiple agencies responded to the crash site southeast of McMinnville, and surrounding roads were closed, the sheriff’s office said. One of the helicopters belonged to Jerry Trimble Helicopters, an aviation school based at McMinnville Municipal Airport, the school said. It did not specify which aircraft was its own.

“Our hearts and thoughts are with the individuals involved, their families and everyone affected by the event,” the school said in a statement.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the collision. The FAA said the NTSB would lead the investigation, and the BBC reported that both agencies responded to the scene. Officials have not said what led the helicopters to collide.