October 30, 2026 6:00 a.m.  

Three people died when two helicopters collided near McMinnville on Thursday afternoon.

A Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office report said the accident was called in at approximately 2:10 p.m. near an intersection along Highway 233, southeast of McMinnville. Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene.

A 1995 Robinson helicopter and a 2018 Airbus helicopter were found in a field adjacent to the highway. Medical and law enforcement personnel confirmed there were two occupants in the Robinson helicopter and one occupant in the Airbus. All three were deceased.

The occupants in the Robinson helicopter were identified as flight instructor 22-year-old Maddie Asabo of Texas, and a student pilot from the United Kingdom, whose identity is being withheld pending next of kin notification. The sole occupant in the Airbus was identified as 38-year-old Tyler Delane Sturdevant, of Newberg.

Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board immediately responded to the scene and are leading the investigation into the crash.