Three dead after two helicopters collide midair near Oregon airport
The collision involving a Robinson R22 and an Airbus helicopter occurred on Thursday afternoon, with both aircraft crashing in a field adjacent to a highway.
Three people were killed after two helicopters collided in midair near a small airport in Oregon, officials said.
The crash, involving a Robinson R22 and an Airbus helicopter, happened near McMinnville Municipal Airport on Thursday afternoon. The sheriff’s office said both aircraft went down in a field next to a highway.
Authorities said the victims were a 22-year-old flight instructor from Texas and a student pilot from the United Kingdom, both aboard one of the helicopters. The only person in the other aircraft also died.
It was not immediately known what caused the crash.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were at the scene and are leading the investigation.
The Robinson R22 flight instructor was identified as Maddie Aasbo. The student pilot from the UK has not yet been publicly named, as authorities are working with the consulate and the FBI to notify the next of kin.
The sole occupant of the Airbus was identified as Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon.