Student pilot identified as 3rd victim identified in fatal McMinnville helicopter crash

Key Points:

• Authorities have identified Christopher James Joughin, a 31-year-old student pilot from the UK, as the third victim in the mid-air helicopter collision near McMinnville, with his identity released after notifying his family in Zimbabwe.
• The crash also claimed the lives of Maddie Aasbo, a 22-year-old flight instructor from Texas, and Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, who was the sole occupant of the second helicopter.
• The collision occurred around 2 p.m. near McMinnville Airport, involving a Robinson R22 helicopter on a flight lesson and an Airbus AS350B3 conducting a post-maintenance check flight.
• Investigators from the FAA and NTSB are leading the investigation, with no cause determined yet; McMinnville Airport lacks an air traffic control tower, relying on pilot communication over a shared radio frequency.
• Witnesses and aircraft operators are being interviewed, and the NTSB plans to release a preliminary report within 30 days and a final report within one to two years; all roads closed during the emergency response have since reopened.