Federal investigators are examining why an instructional helicopter and another aircraft on a maintenance test flight collided near McMinnville.
MCMINNVILLE, Ore. — Three people were killed Thursday when two helicopters collided in midair near McMinnville Municipal Airport in northwest Oregon, sending both aircraft into a farm field and prompting a federal investigation into what caused the crash.
The collision occurred shortly after 2 p.m. Oct. 29 southeast of McMinnville, according to the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office and federal investigators. A Robinson R22 carrying a flight instructor and student pilot collided with an Airbus AS350-series helicopter carrying one pilot. All three people aboard the two aircraft died.
Yamhill County Sheriff Sam Elliott identified the flight instructor as 22-year-old Maddie Aasbo of Texas and the pilot of the Airbus as 38-year-old Tyler Sturdevant of Newberg, Oregon. Authorities said the third victim was a 31-year-old student pilot from the United Kingdom. His name had not been publicly released while officials worked to notify his family.
The National Transportation Safety Board said the Robinson was conducting an instructional flight when the collision occurred. The Airbus was on a maintenance test flight, a type of operation commonly conducted after maintenance or repairs. Investigators had not determined Friday how the two aircraft came into contact or whether either crew had an opportunity to avoid the collision.
Deputies were called to the area near Lafayette Highway and Southeast Stringtown Road after receiving reports of an aircraft crash. Emergency crews found the wreckage of both helicopters in a privately owned agricultural field near the airport. Authorities did not report any injuries to people on the ground.
A witness who was working on the roof of a nearby barn told local media that he saw the helicopters collide before they fell into the field. Investigators are expected to examine witness accounts along with aircraft wreckage, flight information, maintenance records and other available evidence as they reconstruct the sequence of events.
The crash also affected travel near the scene. A section of Oregon Route 233, also known as Lafayette Highway, was closed as emergency crews and investigators worked in the area. Authorities secured the crash site before federal aviation investigators began taking control of the examination.
The NTSB sent investigators to Oregon to document and recover the wreckage. The Federal Aviation Administration is also involved in the inquiry. Federal investigators typically examine aircraft condition, pilot experience, weather, communications and operational factors, but officials had not identified any of those as contributing to Thursday’s collision.
Jerry Trimble Helicopters, a flight-training company based in the McMinnville area, confirmed that one of its aircraft was involved and said it was cooperating with investigators. The operators connected to the aircraft have expressed support for those affected by the crash while the investigation continues.
No probable cause had been announced Friday. Investigators were continuing their examination of the wreckage and circumstances surrounding the two flights, and officials cautioned that determining the cause of an aviation accident can require an extended review of physical evidence and flight records.
Author note: Last updated October 30, 2026.