Three killed as two helicopters collide mid-air near McMinnville airport in Oregon
Three people died when a Robinson R22 training helicopter and an Airbus H125 collided in mid-air near McMinnville Municipal Airport in Oregon on Thursday, with the NTSB set to lead the investigation.
Three people were killed on Thursday when two helicopters collided in mid-air and crashed into a farm field near McMinnville Municipal Airport in Oregon, authorities said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said a Robinson R22 carrying two people struck an Airbus H125 with only its pilot on board at around 2:15 p.m. local time. There were no survivors. Yamhill County Sheriff Sam Elliot identified two of the dead as Maddie Asabo, a 22-year-old flight instructor from Texas who was aboard the Robinson, and Tyler Sturdevant, a 38-year-old Oregon pilot flying the Airbus. The second person in the Robinson was a 31-year-old student pilot from the United Kingdom whose name was withheld pending notification of family.
One of the helicopters belonged to Jerry Trimble Helicopters, a flight school based at the airport, which said it was working with local authorities as well as the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board to establish what happened.
Police, firefighters and medical teams rushed to the small airport, about 35 miles southwest of Portland, after the collision was reported, and roads around the crash site were closed while investigators worked. A witness who saw the aircraft come down immediately called 911, the sheriff's office said.
The NTSB will lead the investigation into the cause of the collision and is expected to provide further updates as its team examines the wreckage and flight records.
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