Three people died when two helicopters collided in midair near a small Oregon airport, and federal investigators are working to learn why.
Story Highlights
- A Robinson R22 and an Airbus H125 helicopter collided near McMinnville Municipal Airport, southwest of Portland.
- All three people aboard were killed: a 22-year-old flight instructor, her student pilot from the United Kingdom, and a 38-year-old Oregon pilot.
- The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation with the Federal Aviation Administration.
- Officials say the cause of the collision has not been determined.
- The airport’s manager said he understood both helicopters were based at the same airport.
- On Friday, October 30, the sheriff’s office identified the student pilot as Christopher James Joughin, 31, of the United Kingdom, after his family in Zimbabwe had been told.
Authorities Confirm Midair Collision and Three Deaths
Two helicopters collided in the air around 2:15 p.m. on Thursday, October 29, near McMinnville Municipal Airport in Oregon, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said. Both came down in a privately owned farm field along Oregon Route 233, about one mile west of the town of Dayton. All three people aboard died. Officials have not said what caused the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the federal agency that investigates transportation accidents, is leading the investigation with the FAA.
The airport’s manager, John Paskell, said he understood both helicopters were based at the airport. He said he could not confirm what the two aircraft were doing or how the collision happened. He said the crash happened off airport property, and the airport stayed open.
Who Was Aboard
Yamhill County Sheriff Sam Elliott named two of the victims at a news conference Thursday night. Maddie Aasbo, 22, a flight instructor from Texas, was aboard the Robinson R22, a small two-seat helicopter often used for flight training. With her was a student pilot from the United Kingdom. On Friday, October 30, the sheriff’s office named him as Christopher James Joughin, 31, after his family in Zimbabwe had been told.
The pilot of the Airbus H125, a larger single-engine helicopter, was Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon. He was alone in the aircraft. “Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office extends its condolences to the families and friends of Ms. Aasbo and Mr. Sturdevant,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Crash Scene and Road Closure
Photos from the scene showed one helicopter upside down in the field and the other badly damaged. The Oregon Department of Transportation closed Route 233 and some nearby county roads at the request of emergency crews. A department spokesperson said there was no estimated time for the roads to reopen. Recovery work was still going on Thursday evening.
One of the helicopters came from Jerry Trimble Helicopters, a helicopter flight school based at the airport. Officials have not said which aircraft it was. The school said it was “deeply saddened” by the crash. “Our hearts and thoughts are with the individuals involved, their families, and everyone affected by this event,” the school said. It said it was working with law enforcement, the FAA and the NTSB to secure the site.
How Investigators Approach Midair Collisions
In a midair collision, NTSB investigators work to rebuild the last moments of each flight. They look at the flight paths of both aircraft, radio calls, weather, the pilots’ training and the wreckage itself. The goal is to learn how two aircraft ended up in the same spot at the same moment, and what could keep it from happening again.
The NTSB usually releases a short preliminary report within a few weeks of a crash. That report lays out basic facts but does not name a cause. A final report with a probable cause often takes a year or more. Officials have not released radar data, radio recordings or witness accounts from the McMinnville crash.
A Loss for a Close Aviation Community
The flight school at McMinnville’s airport teaches everyone from first-time flyers to advanced helicopter pilots. The crash took a young instructor, a student pilot from the United Kingdom and an Oregon pilot. For their families, and for the pilots who fly out of McMinnville, it is a heavy loss.
What Comes Next
The NTSB and FAA have taken over the scene. An NTSB preliminary report typically lays out the basic facts of each flight, such as where each aircraft was before the impact.
Sources:
foxnews.com, newsweek.com, canberratimes.com.au, ksl.com, newser.com