![]() ![]() "Our hearts are with the family of the individual aboard, along with all of our Alaska Air and Horizon Air employees," Horizon Air Chief Operating Officer Constance von Muehlen said in a video posted on Twitter. You could still hear the F-15s, which were flying low." "It was unfathomable, it was something out of a movie," he told the newspaper. He said he didn't see the crash but saw smoke. Royal King told The Seattle Times he was photographing a wedding when he saw the low-flying turboprop being chased by two F-15s. Video showed fiery flames amidst trees on the island, which is sparsely populated and only accessible by ferry.Īlaska Airlines said no structures on the ground were damaged. Coast Guard sent a 45-foot (14-meter) vessel to the crash scene after witnesses reported seeing a large plume of smoke in the air, Petty Officer Ali Flockerzi said. It's going to disappoint them to hear that I did this.Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess."įlights out of Sea-Tac, the largest commercial airport in the Pacific Northwest, were temporarily grounded during the drama. ![]() Later the man said: "I've got a lot of people that care about me. Those guys will rough me up if I try and land there," the man responded, later adding "This is probably jail time for life, huh?" "There is a runway just off to your right side in about a mile," the controller says, referring to an airfield at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The man could be heard on audio recordings telling air traffic controllers that he is "just a broken guy."Īn air traffic controller called the man "Rich," and tried to convince the man to land the airplane. Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor said the man "did something foolish and may well have paid with his life." ![]() The Q400 is a turboprop aircraft with 76 seats. Horizon Air is part of Alaska Air Group and flies shorter routes throughout the U.S. Alaska Airlines said it was in a "maintenance position" and not scheduled for a passenger flight. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Saturday morning that President Donald Trump is "monitoring the situation." He's currently at his New Jersey golf club. The sheriff's department said they were working to conduct a background investigation on the Pierce County resident, whose name was not immediately released. 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." Witnesses reported seeing the plane being chased by military aircraft before it crashed on Ketron Island, southwest of Tacoma, Washington. Those employees direct aircraft for takeoff and gate approach and de-ice planes. 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. Video showed the Horizon Air Q400 doing large loops and other dangerous maneuvers as the sun set on the Puget Sound. The man's condition wasn't immediately known.Įd Troyer, a spokesman for the sheriff's department, said on Twitter the man was suicidal and there was no connection to terrorism. 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. 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. “There is a runway just off to your right side in about a mile,” the controller says, referring to an airfield at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. In an audio recording Friday night, air traffic controllers can be heard trying to persuade Russell to land the airplane. federal investigators began looking into the theft and crash of the airliner. loved by everyone because he was kind and gentle to each person he met.” a faithful husband, a loving son and a good friend. “It may seem difficult for those watching at home to believe,” the statement said, but Russell was “a warm, compassionate man. Authorities say he was suicidal.Ī family friend read a statement from Russell’s family Saturday that said they were shocked and devastated. ![]() He is believed to have died when the plane crashed into Ketron Island, about 48 kilometers (30 miles) south of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, setting off a large forest fire. Authorities say he had worked Friday, and was in uniform, when he got into the cockpit of a Horizon Airlines Bombardier Q400 plane and took off. The 29-year-old worked for Horizon Air, helping to handle luggage and towing aircraft. The man who authorities say stole a commercial airliner in Washington state late Friday was identified as Richard Russell. ![]()
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