MCMINNVILLE, Ore. (Azat TV) – Three people died on Thursday, October 30, 2026, when two helicopters collided in midair near McMinnville Municipal Airport, approximately 40 miles southwest of Portland, according to the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office. The fatal crash involved a 1995 Robinson R22 and a 2018 Airbus AS350B3, which came down in a field near the intersection of Highway 33 and Cruickshank Road southeast of McMinnville.
Yamhill County Sheriff Sam Elliott confirmed during a news conference that all three occupants aboard the two aircraft were killed in the incident, which occurred at approximately 2:10 p.m. local time. The victims were identified as 22-year-old flight instructor Maddie Aasbo of Texas and 38-year-old Tyler Delane Sturdevant of Newberg, Oregon, alongside a student pilot from the United Kingdom whose name was withheld pending family notification through the FBI and the British consulate. ABC News reported that one of the involved aircraft was operated by Jerry Trimble Helicopters, an aviation school based at the municipal airport.
Emergency Response and Agency Investigation
Emergency responders arrived at the crash site on Thursday afternoon to find both aircraft heavily damaged in a rural field. Photos shared by local authorities showed a green helicopter resting upside down alongside the crumpled wreckage of a red aircraft. The Oregon Department of Transportation temporarily closed a section of Highway 233 to accommodate emergency vehicles and recovery operations.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board deployed investigators to the scene. According to statements from Standard Net Australia and federal officials, the NTSB will lead the inquiry into the exact cause of the collision, while the FAA examines initial flight tracking and air traffic communications in the vicinity of the uncontrolled airport.
Flight School and Community Reaction
Jerry Trimble Helicopters released a statement expressing grief and confirming its full cooperation with local law enforcement, the FAA, and the NTSB. “Our hearts and thoughts are with the individuals involved, their families, and everyone affected by this event,” the aviation school stated on social media. Flight training operations at the facility were temporarily suspended as federal safety teams secured the site.
Authorities noted that while initial counts regarding the number of occupants aboard each aircraft varied slightly between early agency updates—with initial FAA statements indicating one person on the Robinson and two on the Airbus—the sheriff’s office confirmed the final onboard tally during the official Thursday briefing. Investigators continue to gather witness accounts from residents near Cruickshank Road to reconstruct the final moments of the flight paths.