Two people were injured Monday morning in a helicopter crash at Skagit Regional Airport west of Burlington.
The pilot and a passenger, visitors from Central Washington, were transported to Skagit Valley Hospital with minor injuries.
The incident occurred around 10:08 a.m., when the tail of a four-seat Robinson R44 helicopter clipped a light pole upon takeoff.
About two minutes later, bystanders reported the crash to Skagit Regional Airport staff, who coordinated by phone with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
The Skagit County Sheriff’s Office and Skagit County Fire District 6 were the responding agencies.
“When I arrived on the scene, the pilot was already out of the helicopter and first responders were helping the passenger out, so it was good to see that they were both out of the helicopter and safe,” Port of Skagit Communications Director Linda Tyler said Tuesday. “You never want to see anything like that anywhere, let alone in your backyard.”
Tyler said the FAA and NTSB are conducting investigations.
The helicopter was moved via crane from the scene to a hangar, where the investigations will take place.
The last aircraft incident at the airport was in June 2024, when a small aircraft landed on its belly on the runway and skidded to a stop due to a landing gear issue. The pilot, the only one onboard, was not injured.
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