Watch: Airplane makes emergency landing at Port of Tacoma terminal
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Plane made emergency landing inside TOTE terminal on Jan. 7, 2026; two uninjured.
- FAA opened an investigation; Tacoma PD reports mechanical issue, no report filed.
- Security video circulated online; Northwest Seaport Alliance says cargo unaffected.
Last week a small, yellow airplane made an emergency landing at a terminal inside the Port of Tacoma, officials confirmed on Monday.
A fixed-wing, single-engine plane owned by a Seattle man reportedly landed at an empty marine-cargo terminal owned by TOTE Maritime Alaska, Inc. on Wednesday, Jan. 7 around 11:50 p.m., officials told The News Tribune.
The Federal Aviation Administration said two people were in the plane, and there were no injuries. The FAA is still investigating, said public affairs specialist Steve Kulm.
No police report was filed, and it appears the incident was not a crash but more of a mechanical issue that forced an emergency landing, said Shelbie Boyd with the Tacoma Police Department. According to a public records request received Tuesday, the plane experienced a loss of oil pressure.
An eight-second video of the plane landing at the terminal was posted on Tacoma’s Reddit thread on Friday. The man who posted it, a retired longshoreman named Darin Moody, told The News Tribune over the phone Monday that the video was circulating in a group chat he was a part of. The video appears to be a recording of security footage the night of Jan. 7.
Because the situation involved a marine-cargo terminal, the Port of Tacoma referred The News Tribune was to the Northwest Seaport Alliance. Kate Nolan, with the Northwest Seaport Alliance, confirmed the Cessna plane made a successful emergency landing at TOTE after a mechanical issue. No cargo was impacted, she said.
Representatives with the TOTE company could not be immediately reached for comment Monday, including to verify the security footage.
The U.S. Coast Guard Northwest District, which Tacoma police said might also be investigating the incident, did not have more information to share as of Monday evening. The Tacoma Fire Department did not respond to the incident, The News Tribune confirmed Tuesday morning.
This story was originally published January 13, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
