Three Dead in Midair Helicopter Collision Near McMinnville Airport

Three people have died following a tragic midair collision between two helicopters near the McMinnville Municipal Airport in Oregon, authorities confirmed.

The crash, involving a Robinson R22 and an Airbus helicopter, occurred on Thursday afternoon in a field adjacent to a highway. According to the sheriff’s office, both aircraft went down shortly after the collision.

Victims of the crash have been identified as a 22-year-old flight instructor from Texas and a 31-year-old student pilot from the United Kingdom, who were aboard the Robinson R22. The sole occupant of the Airbus helicopter—a 38-year-old resident of Newberg, Oregon—was also killed.

The flight instructor was identified as Maddie Aasbo, while the student pilot was named as Christopher James Joughin. Authorities delayed releasing Joughin’s name initially to allow time to notify his family, who reside in Zimbabwe.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Airbus was conducting a post-maintenance check flight, while the Robinson R22 was on a flying lesson with two people on board at the time of the incident.

The cause of the collision remains under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the NTSB. Grant Mills, an NTSB investigator, confirmed that the crash occurred midair, roughly 500 feet (152.4 meters) above the ground, about a mile east of the airport. He noted that weather conditions and the exact cause of the collision are still being evaluated.

Notably, the McMinnville Airport does not operate an air traffic control tower. Under such conditions, pilots must self-report their positions and flight intentions over a shared radio frequency.

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