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Stolen plane closes Seattle-Tacoma airport before crashing Stolen plane closes Seattle-Tacoma airport before crashing
(about 3 hours later)
An airline employee who stole an empty passenger plane from Seattle airport has crashed on a nearby island.An airline employee who stole an empty passenger plane from Seattle airport has crashed on a nearby island.
Authorities said the man had made "an unauthorised take-off" late on Friday local time, forcing Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to close.Authorities said the man had made "an unauthorised take-off" late on Friday local time, forcing Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to close.
Two F15 fighter jets pursued the plane. It is unclear if the man survived the crash in Puget Sound. Two F15 fighter jets pursued the plane, which crashed in Puget Sound. The man is not believed to have survived.
The Pierce County Sheriff's Office said it was "not a terrorist incident", adding the man was local and aged 29. The local sheriff's office said it was "not a terrorist incident", adding that the man was local and aged 29.
Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor later told reporters it appeared to be "a joyride gone terribly wrong", according to ABC7 News, adding "most terrorists don't do loops over the water".Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor later told reporters it appeared to be "a joyride gone terribly wrong", according to ABC7 News, adding "most terrorists don't do loops over the water".
Air traffic controllers tried to encourage the man to land before the plane crashed, a recording being shared online reveals. What happened exactly?
The Seattle Times describes the man as sounding "carefree and wild", while a number of videos on social media show the plane flying over the area in an erratic manner. The twin engine turboprop Q400 belonging to Alaska Airlines' sister carrier Horizon Air took off from Seattle-Tacoma at about 20:00 local time (03:00 GMT).
The plane was a Horizon Air Q400, according to a statement from Horizon's partner airline Alaska Airlines. It crashed on the south of Ketron Island, near a military facility. Ben Schaechter was on a plane which was apparently taxiing down the runway as the stolen plane took off.
In the audio recording, the man can be heard starting to worry about how much fuel he had on board. He also suggests he could land the aircraft by himself because he had played "some video games". "Okay this insane," he tweeted. "A pilot on the plane in front of us just went rogue and took off on an empty plane bypassing orders from the tower. The tower ordered a full stop and they're trying to communicate with that pilot. Whaaaaaat!"
The two fighter jets were quickly scrambled. A number of videos showed them following the passenger plane, which was flying over the area in an erratic manner.
Neither of the fighter jets was involved in the crash when the plane came down about an hour later in the south of Ketron Island, about 30 miles (48km) south of the airport, officials said.
Sheriff Pastor told KIRO7 news station in Seattle the man had most likely been killed in the crash.
Why did he steal the plane?
It isn't immediately clear. However, an audio recording of the conversations he had with air traffic control give some insight into what happened on the plane after the Horizon Air employee took off.
In the recording, the man can be heard starting to worry about how much fuel he had on board. He also suggests he could land the aircraft by himself because he had played "some video games".
The man, who is referred to by what is believed to be his first name, also discusses:The man, who is referred to by what is believed to be his first name, also discusses:
The Seattle Times describes the man as sounding "carefree and wild".
What did the eyewitnesses see?
Eyewitness John Waldron told CNN he watched the plane do "a complete loop", before it went "pretty much straight up. And kind of at an angle. And almost stalled the aircraft".
"Somehow he got it levelled back off," he told the broadcaster. "And then made his way down toward the island."
At one point, he estimated, the plane was no more than 100ft (30.5m) above the water.
Leah Morse, who filmed the jet flying overhead, told news agency Reuters she felt in her "gut something was wrong" after spotting the plane.Leah Morse, who filmed the jet flying overhead, told news agency Reuters she felt in her "gut something was wrong" after spotting the plane.
Ms Morse's mother, who lives closer to the area where the plane went down, said her whole house shook.Ms Morse's mother, who lives closer to the area where the plane went down, said her whole house shook.
"We saw the jets circle back after and she texted that there was no plane," she added."We saw the jets circle back after and she texted that there was no plane," she added.
Sheriff Pastor told KIRO7 news station in Seattle the man had most likely been killed in the crash. What happens next?
Ben Schaechter was on a plane which was apparently taxiing down the runway as the stolen plane took off. The FBI has taken over the investigation, according to the local police department.
"Okay this insane," he tweeted. "A pilot on the plane in front of us just went rogue and took off on an empty plane bypassing orders from the tower. The tower ordered a full stop and they're trying to communicate with that pilot. Whaaaaaat!" Meanwhile, "normal operations at Sea-Tac Airport" had resumed within a few hours, according to a tweet sent by the airport.
Passengers collecting their luggage at the airport appeared to be unclear about what exactly had taken place. Questions will most likely be raised about how the employee was able to steal the plane.
"They said there was some kind of emergency somewhere on the runway, and after that we just sat there for 40 minutes," one told Reuters. "But of course everyone's pulling out their phone and finding out what's going on and seeing this crazy story.
"Now we don't really know what happened, but hopefully everyone's OK."
The Q400 is a twin-propeller aeroplane with up to 78 seats, depending on configuration.
In a statement, the airport said: "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."
The airport said flights to and from Seattle-Tacoma had resumed. It is unclear how the employee managed to take the plane.
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