Student pilot from UK among three killed in helicopter horror crash in US

A student pilot from the UK in amongst these dead after two helicopters collided near a small airport southwest of Portland, Oregon, authorities in the US said.

The crash happened a few miles east of McMinnville Airport.

Emergency crews were sent to the scene at about 2.15pm local time on Thursday, the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office said.

Recovery efforts were still under way on Thursday evening.

The Federal Aviation Administration said one of the aircraft involved was a Robinson R22, a two-seat helicopter.

The other was an Airbus H125, which can carry up to six passengers.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

Yamhill County Sheriff Sam Elliott told a news conference: "There were two occupants in the Robinson helicopter and one occupant in the Airbus and all three are deceased.

"The occupants of the Robinson helicopter were identified as a flight instructor out of the state of Texas and a student pilot from the United Kingdom.

"The sole occupant of the Airbus was an adult male from Oregon.

“The scene has now been turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.”

The American victims have been named as 38-year-old pilot Tyler Sturdevant and 22-year-old flight instructor Maddie Aasbo.

The student pilot from the UK has not been identified.

One of the helicopters came from Jerry Trimble Helicopters, an aviation school located at the airport.

“Our hearts and thoughts are with the individuals involved, their families, and everyone affected by this event,” the school said in a statement posted on social media.

The school, which offers everything from demo flights for first-time flyers to advanced training, said it is cooperating with authorities to secure the site and determine the cause of the collision.

Last year, the school posted a photo of Aasbo standing with another person in front of a helicopter and described her as a new private pilot going into instrument training.

“These two are on to great things!” the post said.

McMinnville, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) southwest of Portland, is home to about 34,000 people.

The small airport situated on 650 acres (263 hectares) has two paved runways and remained open Thursday, according to its website. It’s partially bordered by homes and near the North American Aerospace Museum.