A devastating midair collision between two helicopters near an Oregon airport has left three people dead, including a young flight instructor and a student pilot, prompting a federal investigation into what caused the aircraft to crash.
The tragedy unfolded Thursday afternoon near McMinnville Municipal Airport, where witnesses reported hearing a violent impact before watching the helicopters fall into a nearby field.
Authorities confirmed that all three people aboard the two aircraft died in the collision.
The Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office identified two of the victims as 22-year-old Maddie Aasbo, a flight instructor from Texas, and 38-year-old Tyler Delane Sturdevant, a pilot from Newberg, Oregon.
The third victim was a student pilot from the United Kingdom whose identity was being withheld while authorities worked to notify family members.
According to Sheriff Sam Elliott, Aasbo and the British student were traveling together in a 1995 Robinson R22 helicopter.
Sturdevant was operating a separate 2018 Airbus AS350B3 helicopter and was the only person aboard that aircraft.
The sheriff’s announcement clarified earlier reports that had incorrectly identified which occupants were traveling in each helicopter.
Emergency dispatchers began receiving reports of the crash at approximately 2:10 p.m. Thursday.
Within minutes, deputies, police officers and state troopers were responding to a rural area southeast of McMinnville.
They discovered both helicopters in a farm field near Highway 233, close to Southeast Amity-Dayton Highway and Southeast Cruickshank Road.
Medical personnel confirmed that none of the three occupants had survived.
The collision left wreckage scattered across the field, with images showing one helicopter broken into pieces and the other overturned.
For those who witnessed the disaster, the scene was horrifying.
Leo Rodriguez, who was working on a barn roof nearby, told CNN affiliate KPTV that he heard a loud impact and the sound of metal breaking.
He then watched the helicopters twist and descend toward the ground.
His account offered a glimpse into the final moments before the aircraft crashed, although investigators have not determined what caused them to collide.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board subsequently dispatched investigators to the scene.
The NTSB is leading the investigation, with the FAA assisting.
According to CNN, federal officials described the Robinson R22’s flight as an instructional operation, while the Airbus helicopter was conducting a maintenance flight.
Those details suggest the two aircraft were performing different activities when the collision occurred.
However, authorities have not established how their flight paths intersected or what circumstances led to the accident.
Investigators will now face the task of reconstructing the aircrafts’ movements and examining the events immediately preceding the collision.
One of the helicopters was operated by Jerry Trimble Helicopters, a company offering flight training and private aircraft rentals.
The business confirmed its involvement and said it was cooperating with authorities.
It also expressed sympathy for the victims, their families and everyone affected by the tragedy.
As emergency crews secured the wreckage, officials closed Highway 233 and restricted access to nearby roads.
The Oregon Department of Transportation initially provided no estimate for when the highway would reopen.
Local authorities urged motorists and residents to stay away from the crash site while first responders and investigators continued their work.
Despite the collision and surrounding road restrictions, McMinnville Municipal Airport remained open Thursday, according to the Associated Press.
The crash has brought renewed attention to aviation safety as investigators seek answers about how two helicopters operating near the same airport came into contact, per the Conservative Brief.
For the families of those killed, the loss is especially painful.
Aasbo was just 22 years old, working as a flight instructor alongside a student who had traveled from the United Kingdom.
Sturdevant, 38, was flying alone in the second helicopter.
Their deaths have left an aviation community confronting an unexpected tragedy while authorities work to understand what went wrong.
Federal investigators have not announced a preliminary cause, and the investigation remains ongoing.
For now, the wreckage in the Oregon field marks the site of a collision that claimed three lives in a matter of moments, leaving grieving families and unanswered questions behind.
