Teen Wants To Learn To Fly After Rescuing Pilot

And in an elegant turn of events, the young man says he wishes to pursue his pilot certificate—and plans to start training this fall.

The dramatic chain of events occurred July 6 in a cherry orchard along the Columbia River north of Wenatchee, Washington.

According to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) preliminary report, a Hiller UH-12E was destroyed in the incident after catching fire both in-flight and on the ground. The helicopter is registered in Kuna, Idaho, for agricultural and pest control use, according to the FAA.

“I look up, and I see the helicopter hit the power line, and then it comes crashing down, and it hit me on the tractor and pinned me against the steering wheel,” Logan Schneider told TV station NCW. 

At the time, Schneider was working on his brother's cherry orchard as the Hiller UH-12E dried off a neighboring orchard.

Small helicopters are commonly used to dry off cherry fruit that can be spoiled by excessive rain. "Flying a helicopter just above the treetops produces a downwash of air and turbulence which blows most of the rainwater off the leaves and cherries," BC Cherry Association said. "The turbulence rebounds from the ground providing side wash, blowing the trees dry on both sides."  

Schneider was able to extricate himself out from under the nose of the helicopter that held him down to the tractor. That was when he heard the pilot, who was still harnessed inside the inverted aircraft, start to yell. "I heard him screaming," he told KREM-TV. "I looked and I saw him upside down hanging. Fire was everywhere. When I was in the moment I really wasn't thinking. I was just doing."

Schneider was able to pull the pilot to safety. Firefighters responded to the scene, where they found the helicopter wreckage and tractor ablaze.

"Firefighters initial efforts were hindered by difficult access and high voltage power lines," the Orondo Firefighters Association (OFA) said in a statement. "Once the power lines were de-energized, firefighters extinguished the fire on both the tractor and helicopter."

"The initial investigation showed the helicopter struck high voltage power lines careening into a cherry orchard where it struck a tractor and sprayer upon impact that were operating in the orchard," fire officials added.

The pilot, who was not identified, was burned and broke his arm, according to the NCW report. Schneider came away from the incident with a minor burn on his arm and back abrasions. Both were treated at a local hospital.

According to Schneider, the incident has not dampened his dream of one day becoming a pilot. He plans to begin flight school in the fall.