Three people died when two helicopters collided in mid-air near McMinnville Municipal Airport in north-west Oregon on Thursday afternoon, the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office said.
The helicopters crashed in a private farm field near the airport, about 40 miles south-west of Portland, after colliding at around 2:15 p.m. local time on October 29, according to the sheriff and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
All three people aboard the two aircraft were killed, Sheriff Sam Elliott said at a news conference on Thursday evening.
Who was aboard
Two people were aboard a 1995 Robinson R22 helicopter: flight instructor Maddie Aasbo, 22, from Texas, and a student pilot from the United Kingdom, the sheriff said. The student’s name was not released, pending notification of family members, with authorities working through the consulate and the FBI.
The sole occupant of the other aircraft, a 2018 Airbus AS350B3 helicopter, was identified as 38-year-old Tyler Delane Sturdevant, of Newberg, Oregon, the sheriff said.
One of the helicopters was operated by Jerry Trimble Helicopters, a helicopter flight training school and rental service based at McMinnville Municipal Airport, the company said in a statement. The company said it was cooperating with local and federal authorities.
Where the crash happened
Responding crews found the wreckage in a field near the intersection of Highway 233 (the Amity-Dayton Highway) and Southeast Cruickshank Road, between McMinnville and Dayton, with early reports also placing the scene near Southeast Stringtown Road. Highway 233 and Highway 154 were closed in the area as emergency crews responded, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.
The Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office, McMinnville police, Oregon State Police, fire crews and emergency medical personnel responded to the scene. The crash was reported at about 2:10 p.m., shortly before the reported collision time, according to the sheriff’s account.
An early detail that changed
An important caution applies to the occupant count by aircraft. The FAA initially reported a different distribution — only the pilot aboard the Robinson and two people aboard the Airbus — according to CBS News reporting of the FAA statement. The sheriff’s later, on-scene account places two people in the Robinson R22 and one in the Airbus AS350B3, and this article follows the sheriff’s updated account, which is also reflected in the sheriff’s office release.
Readers should therefore treat the aircraft-by-aircraft seating as settled by the sheriff’s account, while noting that early official information differed.
Investigation under way
The investigation is being led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), with the FAA also involved, officials said. The scene was turned over to the FAA and the NTSB after the initial response.
No cause has been established or confirmed at this stage, and officials have not said what brought the two aircraft together in the air. Investigators are expected to publish a preliminary report in the coming weeks, with a fuller account to follow once their work is complete.
The sheriff’s office extended its condolences to the families and friends of Aasbo and Sturdevant.
Timeline
- About 2:10 p.m. local time, Thursday, October 29, 2026: Authorities receive reports of the crash near McMinnville Municipal Airport.
- About 2:15 p.m. local time: The collision time given by the FAA and the sheriff for the mid-air collision near the airport.
- Thursday evening, October 29, 2026: Sheriff Sam Elliott confirms at a news conference that all three occupants died, and identifies Aasbo and Sturdevant.
- Investigation ongoing: The NTSB leads the investigation, with the FAA also involved; no cause confirmed yet.
FAQ
How many people died in the Oregon helicopter collision? Three — all of the occupants of the two helicopters, according to the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office.
Who were the victims? Flight instructor Maddie Aasbo, 22, of Texas, and a student pilot from the United Kingdom were in the Robinson R22; Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon, was the sole occupant of the Airbus AS350B3. The student’s name was withheld pending family notification.
What caused the collision? No cause has been confirmed. The NTSB is leading the investigation, with the FAA also involved.
Where exactly did it happen? In a private farm field near McMinnville Municipal Airport, near Highway 233 and Southeast Cruickshank Road, between McMinnville and Dayton, Oregon.
Sources
- CNN, “3 dead after 2 helicopters collide midair near Oregon airport, sheriff says”: https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/29/us/oregon-helicopters-crash?cid=external-feeds_iluminar_meta
- USA Today, “Three killed after helicopters collide in midair near Oregon airport”: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/10/29/oregon-helicopter-midair-collision-mcminnville-airport/92505577007/
- Statesman Journal, “3 dead in 2-helicopter crash near McMinnville”: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2026/10/29/aircraft-crashes-near-mcminnville-airport-closes-highway/92504083007/
