Community Police & Fire

No injuries in emergency landing at Narrows Airport

Two occupants of a single-engine Cessna airplane that skidded off a landing strip at Narrows Airport Tuesday morning escaped the incident without injury.

The plane’s landing gear malfunctioned, forcing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing after about 40 minutes of circling the airport. The landing gear collapsed when the plane touched down, and it skidded off into a grassy area near the runway.

The pilot and a passenger walked away unharmed.

A report of an airplane in distress was received around 10:40 a.m. Tuesday, according to Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One public information officer Tina Curran. GHFMO responded from nearby Station 52 and was in communication with the pilot, who attempted to fix the landing gear issue while circling.

The plane took off from the Auburn Airport, according to Erin Babbo, communications manager for the Pierce County Planning & Public Works department. Its destination is unknown. The airport was closed until about 2:30 p.m.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.

With an airport in its boundaries, Gig Harbor Fire routinely trains for this sort of incident.

“We have special training and we also partner with the airport to have different protocols set up so we are able to be available quickly in case there was any sort of fire emergency or injury or rescue need,” Curran said. “Certainly, (Tuesday) could have been any of those.”

A single-engine Cessna after an emergency landing at Narrows Airport on Tuesday, May 30. Photo by Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One