Someone stole a Q400 from Seattle?
 

Unconfirmed reports about a Q400 (possibly N423QX) being stolen from SEA by a single person (company pilot?). Followed and eventually shot down (???) by F-15s. Hope the latter part will turn out to be a rumor.

Seems it has now crashed or been shot down, F16's were scrambled

Video:

Some (not very authoritative) posts about it:


https://www.ar15.com/forums/General/...rt-/5-2136566/

https://heavy.com/news/2018/08/seata...unded-seattle/

videos of the Q400 and fighter

Witnessed fighters overhead.
 

http://garchives1.broadcastify.com/1...0200-15227.mp3 ATC recording. Describes himself as having 'a few screws loose' (2:30)

Twitter user jwsthomson has posted some excerpts of his ATC interactions (can't post a link)

Admits he "has a few screws loose" and didn't realize the aircraft would chew through fuel as quickly as it did.

Crashed on Ketron island. 29-year old suicidal male from Piece County, @Piercesheriff is posting info as it comes in on Twitter.

F-15s still patrolling in case this is anything besides a single guy, even though it obviously is.

· BREAKING -- POSSIBLE STOLEN PLANE CRASHES SOUTH OF SEATTLE --

Seattle's airport says: "An airline employee conducted an unauthorized takeoff without passengers at Sea-Tac; aircraft has crashed in south Puget Sound. Normal operations at Sea-Tac Airport have resumed.

Pierce County Sheriff's office says: "Stolen horizon airplane crashed into Ketron island. Preliminary info is that a mechanic from unknown airlines stole plane. Was doing stunts in air or lack of flying skills caused crash into Island."

More at CTV News at 11:30 p.m.

Ketron Island is sparsely populated with minimal first responders. They are reportedly dispatching a ferry loaded with first responders to take them to Ketron Island to address a resultant fire from the crash and do an investigation.
Culprit is reported to be an Alaska Air employee - who told ATC that he didn't know until today that he had a 'screw loose'.
SeaTac reportedly shut down until at least 11pm PDT (one hour from now)

From https://twitter.com/piercesheriff:

https://theaircurrent.com/aviation-s...izon-air-q400/ final radio call from the plane

SeaTac reportedly to be currently resuming normal operation, but with obvious large delays due to ~2 hour ground shutdown.

KIRO 7 News showing takeoffs out of SEA now (2225 PDT).

Further interviews indicate culprit was a Horizon mechanic or "ground service agent". Took it after he and 1 other pushed it to the cargo area for overnight parking.

Just saw a facebook video clip and he really did loop that thing! :eek:

The clips are insane. Not sure if he did a full loop, but he did do a split S and pull out about 100 feet or so above the water.

Some livestream also covering the looping in replay here and there

What an incredibly sad story.

Just think what his friends and family are going through. This is akin to jumping off an impossibly high cliff, but having your words that you said, as you fell to your death, transmitted around the world.

Chat to your friends - or if you have none, then a peer support program. Even if it's from another airline, because yours has none. You are not alone.
https://blog.balpa.org/Blog/August-2...r-intervention