Three dead after helicopters collide near Oregon airport

Three people died Thursday afternoon when two helicopters collided in midair near McMinnville Municipal Airport in northwest Oregon, Yamhill County authorities said. The aircraft crashed in a field near the airport, about 40 miles southwest of Portland. The cause has not been established, and the National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation with the Federal Aviation Administration also involved. Yamhill County Sheriff Sam Elliott identified the victims as flight instructor Maddie Aasbo, 22, from Texas; a student pilot from the United Kingdom; and Tyler Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon, who was flying the other helicopter alone. Authorities withheld the student pilot’s name pending notification of family members. One report said officials were working with the consulate and the FBI on that notification. The helicopters were identified as a Robinson R22 and an Airbus helicopter. The NTSB described the Airbus as an AS350, while the FAA identified it as an H125. The reporting did not explain the difference in model designation. The aircraft’s occupants were divided between the two helicopters, with one carrying two people and the other carrying one. The...