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3 killed as two helicopters collide mid-air near Oregon airport in US

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

First responders, medical crews, and deputies converged near McMinnville Municipal Airport following the mid-air impact on Thursday afternoon. One aircraft was operated by Jerry Trimble Helicopters carrying a Texas flight instructor and a British student pilot, while the other was flown by a local Newberg pilot. Authorities blocked off the vicinity to facilitate emergency operations. The National Transportation Safety Board is now leading an inquiry into the crash with support from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Key points

  • The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the official investigation into the c…: The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the official investigation into the cause of the fatal crash.
  • The Federal Aviation Administration is actively assisting investigators at the incident s…: The Federal Aviation Administration is actively assisting investigators at the incident site near Portland.
  • The Yamhill County Sheriff's Office urged members of the public to steer clear of the eme…: The Yamhill County Sheriff's Office urged members of the public to steer clear of the emergency response area.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Three people were killed after two helicopters collided mid-air near an airport in northwest Oregon on Thursday afternoon, according to the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office.

The collision occurred around 2:15 pm local time near McMinnville Municipal Airport, about 40 miles southwest of Portland. Emergency responders, including local law enforcement, firefighters and medical personnel, rushed to the scene.

One of the helicopters was carrying two people, a flight instructor from Texas and a student pilot from the United Kingdom, Yamhill County Sheriff Sam Elliott said during a news conference on Thursday evening. The second helicopter had only one occupant, a pilot from Newberg, Oregon, the sheriff said.

The sheriff's office urged the public to avoid the area and have “patience as we respond to this critical incident.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was leading the investigation into the collision, with the FAA also probing the incident.

One of the helicopters involved was operated by Jerry Trimble Helicopters, a flight training school and private helicopter rental service.

The company confirmed that one of its aircraft…

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