In a bizarre incident that seems like a scene straight out of a movie, an employee of the Seattle airport is said to have stolen an aircraft belonging to Alaska Airlines and crashed it after taking off from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The aircraft was diverted to an area away from the city by a US Air Force Fighter Jet, after which it went down on Ketron Island. No passengers were on board the aircraft.
@KING5Seattle here’s a video of the hijacked plane and fighter escort from Steilacoom in the ferry line for anderson Island pic.twitter.com/8fgAUe05xv
— Kai Simpson (@Kai_AHS) August 11, 2018
After the incident, Alaska Airlines released a statement on Twitter thus: "We are aware of an incident involving an unauthorized take-off of a Horizon Air Q400. We believe there are no passengers on board. More information as we learn more."
We've confirmed a Horizon Air Q400 that had an unauthorized takeoff from SeaTac around 8pm has gone down near Ketron Island in Pierce County, WA. We're working to confirm who was on board, we believe there were no guests or crew on board other than the person operating the plane.
— Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) August 11, 2018
Officials of the Pierce County Sheriff and the coast guard are said to be at the spot and have ruled out a terrorism angle, reported the Agence France-Presse. Without identifying the employee, authorities have said that he is a 29-year-old.
— AFP news agency (@AFP) August 11, 2018
The man's conversation with the ATC
The man is even said to have joked with the Air Traffic Controllers after taking off and said that he was going to jail for stealing the aircraft. Airways magazine Aviation Beat correspondent Benjamin Bearup tweeted an audio, said to be the pilot's conversation with traffic controllers.
"I think I am going to try to do a barrel roll and if that goes good then I am going to go nose down and call it a night," he is heard saying.
ATC Audio from the stolen Horizon Air Q400: “I think I am going to try to do a barrel roll and if that goes good then I am going to go nose down and call it a night.” pic.twitter.com/83kpL44rw9
— Benjamin Bearup (@TheAviationBeat) August 11, 2018
#Update: ATC Audio from shortly after the Horizon Air Q400 crash: “My current position, *inaudible* has impacted the ground.” pic.twitter.com/2dFChjAJwb
— Benjamin Bearup (@TheAviationBeat) August 11, 2018
While operations at the Seattle-Tacoma airport remained disrupted for a while, services have now resumed.
