Three dead after two helicopters collide midair in Oregon
Two helicopters collided midair near McMinnville Municipal Airport in Oregon on October 29, killing three people, including a flight instructor and a student pilot from the U.K., CNN reported.
On October 29, two helicopters collided midair near McMinnville Municipal Airport in Oregon, resulting in the deaths of three people, including a flight instructor and a student pilot from the United Kingdom, according to CNN. Texas flight instructor Maddie Aasbo, 22, and Oregon pilot Tyler Sturdevant, 38, perished in the crash, alongside the student pilot.
Aasbo was piloting one of the helicopters with the student, while Sturdevant flew the other solo. The aircraft crashed onto a private farm field near the airport, with one helicopter left in pieces and the other upside down. Highway 233 was closed for one mile following the incident, though reopening details were not provided. Witness Leo Rodriguez reported hearing a loud bang followed by grinding metal before witnessing the collision and subsequent impact with the ground at approximately 2:15 p.m. local time.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are leading the investigation into the incident. The helicopters involved were a Robinson R-22 for instructional flights and an Airbus AS350 for maintenance purposes, both operated by Jerry Trimble Helicopters, a flight training school and rental service. The company stated it is cooperating with law enforcement to determine the cause of the accident.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
