Helicopter from Joint Base Lewis-McChord crashes after losing contact
A military helicopter from Joint Base Lewis-McChord crashed in a rural area of Thurston County on Wednesday night.
Sheriff’s deputies from Thurston County and first responders were dispatched to the crash near Summit Lake in a rural area about 20 minutes west of Olympia, off state Route 8. Deputies could not immediately continue rescue efforts because the crash scene was on fire and starting to overheat their shoes, according to Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders in a Facebook post at 11:42 p.m.
The military lost contact with the helicopter before it went down. The Sheriff’s Office is working with JBLM, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
King County’s Guardian 1 helicopter is on scene for rescue efforts, and special operation rescue units are responding.
A JBLM spokesperson confirmed the incident through a statement to The News Tribune.
“Good morning. Joint Base Lewis-McChord confirms that a helicopter crashed on the evening of Sept. 17 in a rural area near the installation. The incident occurred at approximately 9 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. This remains a developing situation, and no additional details are available at this time,” the statement said.
JBLM said they could not provide further information or details.
This is a breaking story, check back for updates.
This story was originally published September 18, 2025 at 8:02 AM.
