![]() Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration directed inquiries to local authorities. Spokesmen for the Transportation Security Administration, the U.S. "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. ![]() The Associated Press contributed to this report.SEATAC, Wash. It said it had chased an immense number of tips but none have resulted in identifying the hijacker. The FBI conducted searches, collected all available evidence and interviewed all identified witnesses. RELATED: FBI no longer actively investigating D.B. The FBI had been investigating but in 2016, the bureau said it was no longer actively investigating the unsolved mystery. No sign of Cooper had emerged, though bundles of his cash, matched by serial numbers, were found. The mystery behind his disappearance remains unsolved. The FBI said after leaving Seattle, Cooper jumped out of the back of the plane with a parachute and money. The plane was ordered to fly to Mexico City. The flight landed in Seattle and Cooper kept several crew members on the plane and it took off again. It demanded parachutes and $200,000 in $20 bills in exchange for the release of 36 passengers. She brought the note to the captain of the plane.
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