Three killed in collision between training and test helicopters in Oregon
Three people were killed when two helicopters collided in midair near McMinnville Municipal Airport in Oregon on Thursday. The crash, involving a flying lesson and a post-maintenance check flight, is under investigation by US aviation authorities; its cause has not been established.
The victims were flight instructor Maddie Aasbo, 22, student pilot Christopher James Joughin, 31, from the UK, and Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Oregon. Investigators said witnesses placed the collision about 500ft above the ground, roughly a mile east of the airport, which has no air traffic control tower.
In short
- Two helicopters collided near an Oregon airport.
- Three people, including a UK student pilot, died.
- Investigators have not determined the cause.
Explained simply
McMinnville Municipal Airport is a small airport in Oregon without an air traffic control tower. At airports like this, pilots coordinate their movements using radio calls and by watching for other aircraft.
The collision involved a helicopter carrying a flight instructor and student pilot on a lesson, and another helicopter making a check flight after maintenance. The US National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration investigate aircraft accidents; their findings can help establish what happened and inform aviation safety.
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Originally published by BBC World as “Three dead after two helicopters collide midair near Oregon airport”.