Two aircraft emergencies in Pierce County Saturday
Nov 8, 2026, 10:41 AM
Fire crews respond to a helicopter hard landing after the aircraft's engine reportedly lost power near Orting. (Photo: Central Pierce Fire & Rescue)
(Photo: Central Pierce Fire & Rescue)
Two aircraft emergencies in Pierce County on Saturday resulted in injuries to one pilot.
No one was hurt in the second incident.
The pilot of a helicopter suffered non-life-threatening injuries when an engine failed, and the chopper made a hard landing.
The aircraft’s pilot was helping to harvest Christmas trees at a tree farm in Pierce County.
The incident took place at around 10:35 a.m.
After reports of the crash came in, a crew from Central Pierce Fire & Rescue responded to the 13900 block of McCutcheon Rd. E.
Firefighters arrived and found the chopper had crashed in a parking lot and was leaking fuel.
Emergency responders extricated the pilot.
The helicopter pilot was assisting with a Christmas tree harvesting operation when the aircraft fell to the ground. (Photo: Central Pierce Fire & Rescue)
His injuries were said to be “moderate”.
Paramedics treated the pilot at the scene, then an ambulance transported him to a local hospital.
The fire crew contained the fuel spill and secured the area so that investigators can inspect the aircraft and try to determine why it lost power.
Fire officials say the helicopter was part of a tree harvesting operation at a nearby tree farm.
The FAA and NTSB have been notified, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
A little more than two hours after the helicopter crash, a small plane with a front landing gear that failed to deploy landed at Thun Field near Puyallup.
At 12:53 p.m., crews from Central Pierce Fire & Rescue again responded to the incident.
The Cessna had three people on board. The plane circled the airport several times before landing.
No injuries resulted when this Cessna small plane landed at Thun Field with a front landing gear that failed to deploy. (Photo: Central Pierce Fire & Rescue)
A photo posted by Central Pierce Fire & Rescue shows the aircraft resting on the runway with its nose on the pavement.
The propeller was in a horizontal position and did not appear to be damaged.
Medics evaluated all three occupants of the aircraft and determined there were no major injuries.
