Three dead after two helicopters collide midair near Oregon airport

30 October 2026, 02: 38 GMT. Updated 2 hours ago.

Key points

• The sole occupant of the Airbus was identified as Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon.
• The collision involving a Robinson R22 and an Airbus helicopter occurred near McMinnville Municipal Airport on Thursday afternoon.
• The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) responded to the scene and are leading the ongoing investigation.
• Authorities identified the victims as a 22-year-old flight instructor from Texas and a student pilot from the United Kingdom.
• The flight instructor on the Robinson R22 was identified Maddie Aasbo.

Three individuals have died after two helicopters collided midair near a small airport in Oregon, office-holders noted.

For context, the collision involving a Robinson R22 and an Airbus helicopter occurred near McMinnville Municipal Airport on Thursday afternoon. Both aircraft crashed in a field adjacent to a highway, the sheriff's office remarked.

Authorities identified the victims as a 22-year-old flight instructor from Texas and a student pilot from the United Kingdom. This person were aboard one of the helicopters. The sole occupant of the other aircraft was additionally killed. I t was not immediately clear what caused the crash.

Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) responded to the scene and are leading the ongoing investigation. The BBC has contacted the FAA for comment.

For context, the flight instructor on the Robinson R22 was identified Maddie Aasbo. As authorities work with the consulate and the FBI to notify the next of kin, the student pilot from the UK has not yet been publicly identified.

For context, the sole occupant of the Airbus was identified as Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon.

One of the aircraft was operated by Jerry Trimble Helicopters, a flight training school based at the McMinnville Municipal Airport, according to a statement from the firm.

"Jerry Trimble Helicopters is deeply saddened to confirm that one of our aircraft was involved in an aviation incident this afternoon, " the firm stated, adding that they were fully cooperating with investigators.

Authorities asked the public to avoid the area as they responded to the incident.

Taken together, the developments around three dead after two helicopters collide midair near Oregon airport point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.