Three people were killed Thursday afternoon when two helicopters collided in midair near McMinnville Municipal Airport in Oregon, authorities said. Both aircraft crashed in a field near a highway southeast of McMinnville, according to CBS News’ report.
The victims included 22-year-old flight instructor Maddie Aasbo of Texas, a student pilot from the United Kingdom and 38-year-old Tyler Delane Sturdevant of Newberg, Oregon, the BBC reported. One of the aircraft was operated by Jerry Trimble Helicopters, a flight-training school based at the airport.
The immediate public-safety impact was at the crash scene: surrounding roads were closed while multiple agencies responded, CBS News reported. Authorities also asked the public to avoid the area, according to the BBC. The reports do not indicate a broader disruption to airport operations or other transportation services.
The cause of the collision was not immediately known. The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board would lead the investigation, while the BBC reported that both agencies had responded to the scene. Jerry Trimble Helicopters said it was cooperating with investigators, according to the BBC.
For nearby residents and travelers, the confirmed direction is to stay away from the crash area and follow local authorities’ access instructions while the investigation and response continue. No official finding on what caused the collision has been released.