Two helicopters collide in midair over Oregon, killing three

In brief

• Two helicopters collided in midair near the municipal airport in McMinnville, Oregon.
• Three people died: a 22-year-old flight instructor, a British cadet pilot and a 38-year-old pilot from Oregon.
• Both aircraft fell on a field, and a stretch of Highway 233 about 1.6 km long was closed.
• The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

Collision near McMinnville airport

Two helicopters collided midair over northwest Oregon. The crash happened near the municipal airport in McMinnville, about 40 miles southwest of Portland (В США в воздухе столкнулись два вертолета, погибли три человека – NV) (У США в повітрі зіштовхнулися вертольоти: троє загиблих – Українська правда).

Victims

Yamhill County Sheriff Sam Elliott said the dead include 22-year-old flight instructor Maddy Aasbo of Texas, who was flying in one helicopter with a British cadet pilot. The second helicopter had only one person aboard, 38-year-old Oregon pilot Tyler Sturdevant. The sheriff said the cadet's name would not be released until his relatives had been notified.

Wreckage and road closure

Both helicopters came down on an agricultural field near the airport. The red aircraft broke apart on impact, while the green one landed upside down. Authorities closed a stretch of Highway 233 about 1.6 km long and gave no timeline for reopening it. Deputies asked residents to stay away from the area.

Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.