Two helicopters come down near McMinnville Municipal Airport
Yamhill County said a 1995 Robinson R22 and a 2018 Airbus AS350B3 reached a farm field beside Highway 233 around 2:09 p.m. PT on October 29, 2026. Three people were on the two aircraft. The highway stayed closed while crews worked the site.
FlyMarshall Newsroom1 min read
Photo: Yamhill County Sheriff's Office
Yamhill County deputies responded Thursday afternoon after two helicopters came down in a farm field southeast of McMinnville, near the municipal airport. Sheriff Sam Elliott said reports came in shortly after 2:10 p.m. PT on October 29, 2026.
The sheriff's office identified a 1995 Robinson R22 and a 2018 Airbus AS350B3 at the scene. Early federal wording had listed the Airbus as an AS350B2.
Key details
- On the Robinson R22: flight instructor Maddie Aasbo, 22, of Texas, and a U.K. student pilot whose name was withheld pending family notification.
- On the Airbus: Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, flying alone.
- All three people on the two aircraft died.
- The adjacent highway closed at the field while crews and investigators worked. Jerry Trimble Helicopters said one of its aircraft was involved.
- The FAA and NTSB are leading the investigation.
Our hearts and thoughts are with the individuals involved, their families, and everyone affected by this event.
Why it matters
A training R22 and a turbine AS350 in the same field next to a busy county highway puts local flight training, federal investigators, and every nearby driver in the same story for the next several days.
What happens next
Federal investigators remain on scene. How soon can that stretch of highway reopen once the wreckage is cleared?
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