Three dead following mid-air helicopter collision in Oregon

WASHINGTON, Oct 30 (OPA) — A 1995 Robinson R22 and a 2018 Airbus AS350 B3 collided shortly before 2:15 p.m. local time, according to Yamhill County Sheriff Sam Elliot. The wreckage of both aircraft was discovered in a privately owned farm field situated near the intersection of Southeast Highway 154 and Stringtown Road.

Authorities confirmed that all three individuals on board the aircraft died at the scene. The victims have been identified as flight instructor Maddie Aasbo, 22, of Texas, and pilot Tyler Sturdevant, 38, of Oregon. A third victim, a student pilot from the United Kingdom, also perished in the incident. The sheriff’s office has formally extended condolences to the families of the deceased.

Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft collide before plummeting to the ground just outside the airport perimeter. Emergency crews from the McMinnville Fire District responded immediately to the site, while the Oregon Department of Transportation closed sections of Route 223 to facilitate the recovery operation and subsequent investigation.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have assumed control of the scene to determine the factors leading to the collision. Investigators are currently documenting the debris field and analyzing flight data to establish the sequence of events that preceded the impact.