Three people died after two helicopters collided Thursday afternoon over rural Yamhill County and crashed into a private field near McMinnville Municipal Airport, Sheriff Sam Elliott said.
The victims were 22-year-old Texas flight instructor Maddie Aasbo, a student pilot from the United Kingdom whose family had not yet been notified, and 38-year-old Newberg pilot Tyler Sturdevant.
Authorities said Aasbo and the student pilot were aboard a Robinson R22, while Sturdevant was flying an Airbus AS350B3, correcting aircraft assignments the FAA had released earlier.
The crash was reported around 2:15 p.m. near Southeast Highway 154 and Stringtown Road, and Oregon transportation officials closed Route 233 west of Dayton as investigators prepared to examine the site.