PCSO pilot’s quick actions save crew

Pinal County Sheriff’s Office’s Raven 1 helicopter made an emergency landing at 7 a.m. Tuesday just north of Interstate 8 on Peart Road.

The helicopter was on a routine maintenance flight operation when the pilot began having engine problems and the helicopter lost power. The pilot was able to make an emergency landing
on a dirt field missing nearby high-tension power lines.

There were three PCSO employees onboard: the pilot, tactical flight officer and another aviation unit deputy. All three men were uninjured and received precautionary medical evaluations at a nearby medical facility.

The helicopter, a 1990 MD Helicopters 500E, has been part of the PCSO Aviation Unit since December 2011. The helicopter was procured with funding from the state Legislature to give PCSO the air support to patrol the border-crime corridors of Pinal County.

The pilot has been flying for the sheriff’s office for the past five years and has logged nearly 1,200 hours of flight.