Posted on 08/11/2018 12:57:36 AM PDT by Simon Green
A "suicidal" airline employee stole an empty Horizon Air turboprop plane, took off from Sea-Tac International Airport and was chased by military jets before crashing into a small island in the Puget Sound on Friday night, officials said.
Preliminary information suggests the crash occurred because the 29-year-old man was "doing stunts in air or lack of flying skills," the Pierce County Sheriff's Department said.
Ed Troyer, a spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, said on Twitter the man was suicidal and there was no connection to terrorism.
Video showed the Horizon Air Q400 doing large loops and other dangerous maneuvers as the sun set on the Puget Sound. There were no passengers aboard. Authorities initially said the man was a mechanic but Alaska Airlines later said he was believed to be a ground service agent employed by Horizon. Those employees direct aircraft for takeoff and gate approach and de-ice planes.
Witnesses reported seeing the plane being chased by military aircraft before it crashed on Ketron Island, southwest of Tacoma, Washington. Troyer said F-15 aircraft scrambled out of Portland, Oregon, and were in the air "within a few minutes" and the pilots kept "people on the ground safe."
The sheriff's department said they were working to conduct a background investigation on the Pierce County resident, whose name was not immediately released.
The aircraft was stolen about 8 p.m. Alaska Airlines said it was in a "maintenance position" and not scheduled for a passenger flight. Horizon Air is part of Alaska Air Group and flies shorter routes throughout the U.S. West. The Q400 is a turboprop aircraft with 76 seats.
(Excerpt) Read more at wdtn.com ...
Apparently one of those guys that direct planes from the ground. I listened to all of it and he mentioned minimum wage at one point.
I think he’s thinking of the claim for the plane by the airline afterwards. Like a joke. As no one was injured except the suicide, the joke aspect enters the picture. The worker contained his suicide either on his own or with help from f-15 as mentioned. Though I can’t see how they could have stopped him from crashing into people while over a populated area.
Bravo to this suicide for not injuring others.
Kid’s name was Cooper. Dan Cooper.
Minimum wage? Aren’t those usually union jobs?
Do the guys that direct the planes from the ground also know how to fly them?
Where’d he learn to fly a turboprop?
He really must have done his homework. Though I guess you can skip a lot of the preflight routine when you don’t plan to land safely.
DB Cooper’s Long lost grandson.
Unfortunately, a 29 year old whack job probably doesn’t have much of an estate to go after. Plus he has been off his parent’s insurance policy for three years, so may be no mental health physician to blame.
Twitter pics of the F-15s scrambling out of PDX to intercept this guy.
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Really nice pics of the F-15s scrambling at sunset.
Bookmark
so what is the name of this person who did this? Nothing I have found says his name. or a picutre
very expensive joyride.
Q400 US$32.2 million.
Developed from.
de Havilland Canada Dash 7.
The Bombardier Dash 8 or Q Series, previously known as the de Havilland Canada Dash 8 or DHC-8 is a series of twin-engine, medium-range, turboprop airliners.
the reason I am asking is that most of the ground services employees seem to be Moslims here.
Payouts to whom? The only damage other than to their own plane is to land on what appears to be a largely empty, undeveloped island. I am a plaintiff’s lawyer, and I am not seeing a lot of claims here.
Religion of pieces.
Gotta be.
Doing a test run.
“Payouts to whom? The only damage other than to their own plane is to land on what appears to be a largely empty, undeveloped island. I am a plaintiff’s lawyer, and I am not seeing a lot of claims here.”
How much do you think it takes to scramble a couple of jet fighters. I know that C130s cost well over $20k per hour. Restoration of property? Cleanup? HAZMAT response and clean up. There will be bills.And then there is the Indemnity issues. Of course the insurer will be doing the utmost to not cover for cause (i.e. the employee’s known mental condition and the obvious unlimited access to aircraft). Could be quite a total outlay that the Indemnity Corp is not willing to fork over. So Horizon will have to liquidate.
Did I mention fines? To both the airline and the airport...
Bkmk
You would think the article would state explicitly whether the rogue pilot was killed or not. I’m assuming he died in the fiery crash.
The factual info should be in first paragraph. This is basic logic.....and I never went to J school!
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