By Karim Hammam
Federal investigators are working to determine why two helicopters collided over a farm field near McMinnville, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon, killing all three people aboard both aircraft.
Investigation Underway
The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched a team to examine the wreckage near the McMinnville airport, about an hour southwest of Portland. The crash occurred around 2 p.m. on a cloudy day, leaving a red helicopter in pieces and a green helicopter resting upside down.
Victims Identified
Yamhill County Sheriff Sam Elliott identified the victims as 38-year-old Tyler Sturdevant, a pilot from Oregon; 22-year-old Maddie Aasbo, a flight instructor from Texas; and a 31-year-old student pilot from the United Kingdom whose name has not been released. Aasbo and the student were aboard the Robinson R22 helicopter on an instructional flight, while Sturdevant was piloting the Airbus AS350B3 on a maintenance test flight.
Aircraft and Operators
The Robinson R22 was operated by Jerry Trimble Helicopters, a flight school offering training from demo flights to advanced instruction. The Airbus AS350B3 belonged to Precision, a helicopter charter and maintenance company that also supports military drone missions. Both companies said they are cooperating with authorities and assisting the victims' families.
