U.S. · 15 outlets (L 3 · C 5 · R 4 · 3 not rated)
Three killed as two helicopters collide midair in Oregon
Two helicopters collided in midair Thursday afternoon near McMinnville Municipal Airport in Oregon, killing all three people aboard, authorities said.[3, 8, 10] The Yamhill County Sheriff's Office said the crash occurred at approximately 2:10 p.m. local time near McMinnville, about 40 miles southwest of Portland.[8] The aircraft involved were a 1995 Robinson R22 and a 2018 Airbus AS350B3 helicopter, according to the sheriff's office.[8]
The victims were a Texas flight instructor, an Oregon pilot and a student pilot from the UK, Newsweek reported.[6, 12, 15] Both aircraft crashed in a field next to a highway, and Oregon 233 was closed one mile west of Dayton, the Oregon Department of Transportation said.[9, 13, 14]
A witness told Fox12 he saw the two aircraft crash midair and fall to the ground just outside the airport.[11] The cause of the collision has not been determined, and the FAA is investigating.[3, 9]
Why it matters Oregon 233 was closed one mile west of Dayton near the airport following the crash.[14]
Covered by The New York Times, CBS News, Fox News and 12 more
Background 3 dead after 2 helicopters crash near Portland airport: What to know
Where accounts differ (1)
- Facts differUPI's headline described the collision as occurring in northeastern Oregon, while other outlets reported the crash near McMinnville in northwestern Oregon, about 40 miles southwest of Portland.[7, 8]
- UPI · Center · Oct 29, 9:26 p.m. ET Helicopters collide mid-air in northeastern Oregon
A pair of helicopters collided mid-air Thursday afternoon in northwestern Oregon, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
- Yahoo News · Center · Oct 29, 10:32 p.m. ET 3 people killed after 2 helicopters collide midair in Oregon, authorities say
Three people are dead after two helicopters collided in midair near an Oregon airport on Thursday, according to local authorities. The incident involved a 1995 Robinson R22 helicopter and a 2018 Airbus AS350B3…
- UPI · Center · Oct 29, 9:26 p.m. ET Helicopters collide mid-air in northeastern Oregon
How balanced is this coverage?
Of the 12 rated outlets that covered it, 3 are left of center, 5 are center and 4 are right of center (3 of them in the Right group). 3 more are not rated.
- Left: none.
- Leans left: The New York Times (−0.70), The Guardian (−0.70), The Daily Beast (−0.64).
- Center: Newsweek (−0.30), ABC News (−0.19), CBS News (−0.14), Yahoo News (+0.07), UPI (+0.17).
- Leans right: New York Post (+0.64).
- Right: The Washington Times (+1.27), Fox News (+1.52), IJR (+1.52).
Not rated BBC News, NewsNation, Sky News. Not placed: they have no lean score.
Each dot is an outlet that covered it, placed by its audience-lean score (Eady et al. 2025), which measures who shares its links, not how accurate it is. The ticks under the line are all 113 rated outlets Tare reads.