Three people were killed Thursday afternoon after two helicopters collided in midair near McMinnville Municipal Airport in Oregon. According to the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office, the collision occurred around 2:10 p.m. Oct. 29, sending both aircraft into a field adjacent to Highway 233 southeast of McMinnville.
Aircraft and Victims Identified
A Robinson R22 and an Airbus AS350 were involved in the accident. The Robinson carried 22-year-old flight instructor Maddie Aasbo of Texas and a student pilot from the United Kingdom whose identity has not yet been released. The sole occupant of the Airbus was identified as 38-year-old Tyler Delane Sturdevant of Newberg, Oregon. The NTSB said the Robinson was conducting an instructional flight while the Airbus was on a maintenance flight.
“I heard the helicopter noise, I bent over to do something and then boom I looked up and everything was going down,” witness Leo Rodriquez told local KPTV. “There was a larger one [helicopter] intact still, the tail end of it was struck and then it turned and it propelled down and the other one dropped straight down.”
Investigation Underway
“Our hearts and thoughts are with the individuals involved, their families, and everyone affected by this event,” Jerry Trimble Helicopters, a flight training company based at McMinnville Municipal Airport, said in a statement obtained by the Associated Press.
The company confirmed that one of its helicopters was involved and said it was cooperating with investigators.
The FAA and NTSB are investigating the accident, and the NTSB will lead the inquiry. No cause has been determined. The collision comes less than a year after two helicopters collided near Hammonton, New Jersey, in December 2025, killing both pilots.
0 replies