Three killed after two helicopters collide near McMinnville, Oregon

Two helicopters crashed in midair near McMinnville Municipal Airport in Oregon on Thursday afternoon, leaving three people dead, local authorities said. The collision involved a 1995 Robinson R22 and a 2018 Airbus AS350B3 and occurred at about 2:10 p.m. near the intersection of Highway 33 and Cruickshank Road, according to the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office.

The Robinson R22 was carrying flight instructor Maddie Aasbo, 22, of Texas, and a student pilot from the United Kingdom, whose name has not been released while officials coordinate with the consulate and the FBI. The Airbus AS350B3 had a single occupant, Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon.

Witnesses reported seeing the helicopters collide before they fell into a field adjacent to the highway. First responders arrived at the crash site and confirmed the fatalities.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been dispatched to the scene and will lead the investigation into the accident.