NTSB opens investigation into fatal McMinnville mid-air collision

Three people died on Thursday afternoon when two helicopters collided in McMinnville, Oregon. The victims were 22-year-old Maddie Aasbo and 31-year-old Christopher James Joughin, who were passengers in a training aircraft, and 38-year-old Tyler Sturdevant, who was piloting a separate helicopter.

The Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office identified the aircraft as a helicopter belonging to Jerry Trimble Flight School. It struck a second helicopter operated by Precision, LLC. Sturdevant was conducting a maintenance flight at the time of the impact.

Grant Mills of the National Transportation Safety Board noted that McMinnville Airport does not have a control tower. Pilots at this facility must self-report their positions and intentions to avoid conflicts.

Allison Harding was training for her pilot license in Tillamook in February of this year. She was paired with Sturdevant for two days of testing. Harding described the experience as inspiring and said his aviation knowledge stood out to her.

"Just his knowledge in aviation was really incredible. Just to be able to talk to him, he had incredible knowledge in aviation. I can’t imagine like how many lives he touched by just doing all these check rides and stuff," Harding said.

Harding said the two bonded over their spirituality during the training session. She said Sturdevant often spoke about his wife and two children. "My absolute heartbreak is for his family. I remember he was telling me about his family. And we were talking about his two kids and his wife, and he just loved them," she said.

The NTSB is currently gathering evidence and facts related to the mid-air collision. Investigators plan to interview witnesses in the coming days. A preliminary report on the crash is expected to be released in approximately 30 days.