UPDATES: Man Steals Horizon Air Plane From SeaTac Airport, Crashes On South Puget Sound Island
PHOTO: Ketron Island in the south Puget Sound, site of where a stolen Horizon Air turbo prop plan crashed on Friday evening, Aug. 10, 2018. CREDIT: The News Tribune
Federal aviation officials and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office say a man who stole a Horizon Air Q400 turbo prop plane from Sea-Tac International Airport Friday night has crashed on Ketron Island in south Puget Sound.
This is a developing story and will be updated as information is available and confirmed.
NOTE: The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255 or online at suicidepreventionlifeline.org. A live chat is available there, too.
August 10, 2018, 11:06 p.m.:
Correspondent Austin Jenkins, based in Olympia, reports seeing emergency operations ongoing around Ketron Island.
The lights of police boats off Ketron Island tonight where stolen Horizon Q400 went down after reportedly being chased by military interceptors pic.twitter.com/UPhC8D9HmJ
— Austin Jenkins N3 (@AustinJenkinsN3) August 11, 2018
Jenkins reported this from near the scene of the crash Friday night:
“We can see evidence of fire on the hillside here on this island. Police boats and helicopters are circling. There is a ferry at the dock and police vehicles with flashing blue lights are moving away from the ferry at this point. This is clearly the location where this plane went down. But it’s a very remote island, very dark, not a lot of evidence of houses. And what we’re seeing is a glow in the woods of what appears to be the remnants of where this plane went down. The remnants from the flames from the fire that was started when the plane crashed. And as I say, there are helicopters circling, police boats in the water, and a ferry at the dock on this island with more flashing blue lights, near the ferry.”
In recordings between the man and air traffic control, the man who stole and piloted the plane said he was a “broken guy” but also joked about whether the airline would hire him as a pilot if he landed safely.
“Nah, I’m a white guy.” #seatac pic.twitter.com/OVtJqphgqo
— Jimmy Thomson (@jwsthomson) August 11, 2018
The man, who was addressed as “Rich” in audio recordings with air traffic controllers, said he didn’t want to land at nearby McChord Air Force Base (part of the larger Joint Base Lewis McChord).
He told them, “Those guys will rough me up if I try and land there.”
During another part of the exchange, the man said he was concerned he was going to run low on fuel.
Later, he said he’s “got a lot of people that care about me.”
10:15 p.m.:
Pierce County sheriff’s officials say a man who stole an Alaska Airlines plane from Sea-Tac International Airport was “suicidal” and there is no connection to terrorism.
Ed Troyer, a spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, says on Twitter Friday night that a 29-year-old airline mechanic stole the Horizon Air Q400 from Sea-Tac International Airport.
Witnesses reported seeing the plane being chased by military aircraft before it crashed near Ketron Island. There were no passengers aboard.
The sheriff’s department said they were working to conduct a background investigation on the man, whose name was not immediately released.
Horizon Air Bombardier DHC8-Q400 at Sea-Tac Airport. CREDIT: FLICKR PHOTO/KENTARO IEMOTO (CC BY-SA 2.0) HTTPS://FLIC.KR/P/843PGN
The man could be heard on audio recordings telling air traffic controllers that he’s “got a lot of people that care about me” and that he is “just a broken guy.”
Sea-Tac airport operations were disrupted for a time Friday, as other flights were grounded and prevented from taking off.
At 8:30 p.m. on Friday night KUOW Seattle public radio reporter Anna Boiko-Weyrauch wrote an ominous tweet:
“My pilot speaking,” her tweet began. “It’s a Horizon Q400 big turboprop. Some guy stole it. Looked up how to fly on the internet. He’s been around Mount Rainier, now is going to Olympics. He doesn’t know what he is doing. He has everything in the area locked down.”
Within the hour, Sea-Tac Airport confirmed the rogue mission: “An airline employee conducted an unauthorized takeoff without passengers at Sea-Tac; aircraft has crashed in south Puget Sound.”
9:50 p.m.
Officials at Sea-Tac International Airport say an Alaska Airlines plane that was stolen by an airline employee and has crashed in Washington state.
Airport officials say in a tweet Friday night that an airline employee “conducted an unauthorized takeoff without passengers.”
Witnesses reported seeing the plane being chased by military aircraft near the airport.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said on Twitter that preliminary information suggested that a mechanic had stolen the aircraft. The tweet said the crash may have been caused by the mechanic “doing stunts in air or lack of flying skills.”
A Coast Guard spokeswoman said the agency was responding to a report of a smoke plume and possible plane crash. Petty Officer Ali Flockerzi said a 45-foot vessel was headed to the scene.
9:37 p.m.
Alaska Airlines says there was an “unauthorized take-off” of an airplane and witnesses reported a jet being chased by military planes near Sea-Tac International Airport.
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.
— Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) August 11, 2018
The airline tells The Associated Press that the plane was a Horizon Air Q400 and it believed no passengers were on board.
No other information was immediately available.
Horizon Air is part of Alaska Air Group and flies shorter routes throughout the U.S. West.
The Q400 ix a turboprop aircraft with 76 seats.
Initial reporting by The Associated Press. Additional reporting by Isolde Raftery of KUOW, Austin Jenkins of the Northwest News Network, and Scott Leadingham of Northwest Public Broadcasting. [Copyright 2018 Northwest Public Broadcasting]
