Three people died afterwards two helicopters collided in mid-air near a northwest Oregon airport Thursday afternoon, according to the Yamhill County Sheriff.
Responding crews found the crashed helicopters in a private farm field in a rural area near the McMinnville Municipal Airport, according to the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office. McMinnville is about 40 miles southwest of Portland.
One of the helicopters was carrying two people, a flight instructor from Texas, identified as Maddie Aasbo, 22, and a student pilot from the United Kingdom, Yamhill County Sheriff Sam Elliott said at a news conference Thursday evening. The student’s name has not been released, pending notification of family, according to the sheriff.
The pilot of the other helicopter, who was the sole occupant, was identified as Tyler Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon, the sheriff said.
The sheriff’s office asked the public to avoid the area and to be “patient 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 investigating the incident. The two planes involved were a Robinson R-22 and an Airbus AS350, » said the NTSB.
Investigators from the FAA and NTSB were on scene Thursday evening, the sheriff said.
One of the helicopters was operated by Jerry Trimble Helicopters, a helicopter flight training school and private flight rental service, 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 go out to those involved, their families and everyone affected by this event.”
The company added that it was cooperating with authorities in the investigation.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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