A airline mechanic stole an empty Alaska Airlines plane and took off from Sea-Tac International Airport in Washington state before crashing near a small island, officials said.

Preliminary information suggests that the 29-year-old mechanic stole the Horizon Air Q400 and the crash occurred because the person was “doing stunts in the air or (had a) lack of flying skills”, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said.

Witnesses reported seeing the plane being chased by military aircraft before it crashed near Ketron Island, south west of Tacoma, Washington. There were no passengers aboard. </s> (Reuters) - An airline mechanic stole an airplane at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport on Friday and was chased by two U.S. military jets before crashing on a nearby sparsely populated island, the local sheriff said.

There was no indication that the incident was an act of terror, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said on Twitter.

No passengers were onboard and normal operations have resumed at the airfield, the airport said on Twitter.

The 29-year-old pilot was suicidal and appeared to have acted alone, the sheriff said, adding he was probably killed in the crash. The pilot’s identity has not been made public.

“Was doing stunts in air or lack of flying skills caused crash into Island,” the sheriff said on Twitter.

Constance von Muehlen, chief operating officer of Horizon Air, a sister carrier of Alaska Airlines, said that at about 8 p.m. an employee of the airline undertook an unauthorized take-off of a Q400 twin-engine turboprop airplane.

It is unclear how the employee was able to taxi the plane on a runway and take off without authorization. An Alaska Air spokesman said he did not have information about how the incident occurred.

Two F-15s fighter jets pursued the plane but were not involved in the crash, local TV station KIRO7 reported.

“Told F-15s made it within a few minutes of theft of plane. Pilots kept plane out of harm’s way and people on ground safe,” the sheriff said on Twitter.

Video footage on social media showed a large plane flying above the Seattle area with an F-15 following it.

“Okay this insane. A pilot on the plane in front of us just went rogue and took off on an empty plane bypassing orders from the tower,” tweeted Ben Schaechter, a passenger on an airplane that was taxiing to take off before the incident.

Fire crews were working on putting out the fire from the crash on Ketron Island in Puget Sound. Ketron Island is a sparsely populated island 25 miles (40 km) southwest of the airport.

The Bombardier Q400 turboprop airplane is designed for shorter-distance flights and can seat 76 passengers, Alaska Air said on its website. </s> A Horizon Air employee stole an empty plane from Sea-Tac International Airport on Friday before crashing into a small island in south Puget Sound.

No passengers or crew were onboard. The Pierce County Sheriff's Office believes the man acted alone and the incident was not related to terrorism.

The aircraft crashed on Ketron Island in Pierce County shortly after 8:45 p.m. The man piloting the plane has not been recovered. Alaska Airlines said the aircraft involved was a 76-seat Horizon Air Q400 turboprop plane.

The man was identified as a 29-year-old Pierce County resident. 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.

His motive was not clear, but the man could be heard on audio recordings telling air traffic controllers that he is "just a broken guy."

LISTEN: Worker who stole empty plane talks with air traffic control before crash

Video showed the plane doing large loops and other dangerous maneuvers as the sun set on the Puget Sound. John Waldrop shared the following footage from Chambers Bay Golf Course:

Mark Reger was standing in his driveway near Steilacoom when he saw the planes fly overhead.

"We looked across the water there's this huge fireball coming up off the west coast of Ketron Island, followed by smoke. There were some fire planes in the air. It clearly seemed immediately like there was a plane crash," he said.

"It's super scary when you think about how fast those planes are moving, the distance from Ketron Island to these houses in minuscule. It's really scary to think what might have happened under slightly different circumstances."

Alaska Airlines, the parent company of Horizon, released the following statement late Friday night:

"Alaska Airlines believes a ground service agent employed by Horizon Air was the individual responsible for flying the Horizon Q400 without clearance from Sea-Tac International Airport around 8 p.m. tonight. The plane, which was taken from a maintenance position and was not scheduled for passenger flight, crashed about an hour later in a wooded area on Ketron Island in rural Pierce County. No ground structures were involved at the crash site. Military jets were scrambled from Portland, but it does not appear that these jets were involved in the crash of the Horizon aircraft. This individual who took the aircraft, who has not yet been positively identified until remains are examined, is believed to have been the only person on the plane when the plane was taken from a maintenance position at Sea-Tac. First responders are at the crash site. Appropriate government agencies, including NTSB, FAA and FBI, have been notified."

Two F-15 Air National Guard fighter jets from Portland chased down the plane while it was still in the air. They did not appear to be involved in the crash.

An air traffic control operator attempted to guide the man to Joint-Base Lewis McChord: "We're just trying to find a place for you to land safely," the operator said.

The plane crash ignited a fire on the south end of Ketron Island. West Pierce Fire reports a water supply issue made for a difficult firefight, but the blaze was contained to brush and did not spread to any homes.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Saturday morning that President Donald Trump is "monitoring the situation." He's currently at his New Jersey golf club.

Spokesmen for the Transportation Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration directed inquiries to local authorities.

Gov. Jay Inslee thanked the Air National Guard from Washington and Oregon for scrambling jets and said in a statement "there are still a lot of unknowns surrounding tonight's tragic incident."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. </s> An ground service agent at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is dead after stealing and crashing a commercial airliner on Friday. The 29-year-old man took off in a stolen 76-seat Horizon Air Q-400 turboprop, then flew the plane for about an hour — during which he performed aerobatic stunts and was chased by two U.S. F-15 fighter jets — before crashing on Ketron Island in south Puget Sound some 25 miles from the airport. The still unidentified man, who was a Horizon Air employee, is believed to have been the only person aboard the plane when it crashed.

The unlicensed pilot seemed scattered in a 25 minute recording of his conversation with an air traffic controller. He expressed both remorse for what he was doing and enthusiasm for attempting aerobatics, and at times seemed to imply that he intended to end his own life. At one point he said that he had hoped he could have a “moment of serenity” in the air but that everything moved by too fast. At another point he apologized to everyone who cared about him and described himself as, “just a broken guy, got a few screws loose I guess — never really knew it until now.”

The air traffic controller and a pilot tried to convince the man to attempt to land the plane — and to not attempt the aerobatic maneuvers — but were not successful.

Stunned onlookers shot cell phone video of the turboprop flying low to the ground, then again as it was escorted by the fighter planes, which tried to move the plane away from populated areas out over the sea, but did not fire on the airliner. “The responding fighter pilots flew alongside the aircraft and were ready to do whatever was needed to protect us,” Washington State governor Jay Inslee tweeted on Friday, “but in the end the man flying the stolen plane crashed.”

“The person who stole it was either doing it on a lark, or was suicidal,” Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor said on Friday. Terrorism was quickly ruled out as a motive, but the incident still led to a complete shutdown of air traffic in and out of Sea-Tac airport.

On Saturday, investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board, FBI, and Alaska Airlines — which operates Horizon Air — travelled to the crash site, which is on a sparsely populated wooded island that is only accessible by ferry. An investigation will also seek to determine how a ground service worker was able to access the plane’s cockpit and steal it in the first place. </s> An airline employee took off in a plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Friday night in an episode that ended with the plane crashing about 30 miles from the airport, the authorities said.

“An airline employee conducted an unauthorized takeoff without passengers at Sea-Tac,” the airport said in a tweet. “Aircraft has crashed in south Puget Sound. Normal operations at Sea-Tac Airport have resumed.”

Alaska Airlines said in a tweet that the takeoff involved a turboprop, a Q400, flying for Horizon Air, a subsidiary. “We believe there are no passengers on board,” it added.

The Pierce Country sheriff’s office said in a tweet that a stolen Horizon airplane had crashed on Ketron Island. </s> A 29-year-old Horizon employee stole an empty plane from Sea-Tac International Airport around 8 p.m. Friday. No passengers or crew were on board. The Pierce County Sheriff's Office believes the man acted alone and the incident was not related to terrorism.

The aircraft crashed on Ketron Island in south Puget Sound shortly after 8:45 p.m. Alaska Airlines said the plane involved was a Horizon Air Q400.

The employee has been identified as a 29-year-old Pierce County resident. It appears he acted alone, according to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office.

His motive is not clear, but audio between the cockpit and air traffic control indicates the man was in emotional distress.

LISTEN: Worker who stole empty plane talks with air traffic control before crash

Witness footage shows the plane's erratic flight prior to the crash. John Waldrop shared the following footage from Chambers Bay Golf Course:

Alaska Airlines, the parent company of Horizon, released the following statement late Friday night:

"Alaska Airlines believes a ground service agent employed by Horizon Air was the individual responsible for flying the Horizon Q400 without clearance from Sea-Tac International Airport around 8 p.m. tonight. The plane, which was taken from a maintenance position and was not scheduled for passenger flight, crashed about an hour later in a wooded area on Ketron Island in rural Pierce County. No ground structures were involved at the crash site. Military jets were scrambled from Portland, but it does not appear that these jets were involved in the crash of the Horizon aircraft. This individual who took the aircraft, who has not yet been positively identified until remains are examined, is believed to have been the only person on the plane when the plane was taken from a maintenance position at Sea-Tac. First responders are at the crash site. Appropriate government agencies, including NTSB, FAA and FBI, have been notified."

While the plane was still in the air, two F-15 Air National Guard fighter jets launched from Portland, Oregon.

An air traffic control operator attempted to guide the man to Joint-Base Lewis McChord: "We're just trying to find a place for you to land safely," the operator said.

Sea-Tac Airport was put on an immediate ground stop once the plane took off. The airport said operations have since returned to normal. </s> A plane crashed Friday evening after a Horizon Air employee conducted an "unauthorized take-off" from Sea-Tac International Airport. The plane was empty besides the 29-year-old man who stole it.

The aircraft crashed on Ketron Island in south Puget Sound shortly after 8:45 p.m. Alaska Airlines said a Horizon Air Q400 was involved in the incident.

The employee has been identified as a 29-year-old Pierce County resident, according to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department. The department believes he acted alone.

Alaska Airlines, the parent company of Horizon, released the following statement late Friday night:

"Alaska Airlines believes a ground service agent employed by Horizon Air was the individual responsible for flying the Horizon Q400 without clearance from Sea-Tac International Airport around 8 p.m. tonight. The plane, which was taken from a maintenance position and was not scheduled for passenger flight, crashed about an hour later in a wooded area on Ketron Island in rural Pierce County. No ground structures were involved at the crash site. Military jets were scrambled from Portland, but it does not appear that these jets were involved in the crash of the Horizon aircraft. This individual who took the aircraft, who has not yet been positively identified until remains are examined, is believed to have been the only person on the plane when the plane was taken from a maintenance position at Sea-Tac. First responders are at the crash site. Appropriate government agencies, including NTSB, FAAand FBI, have been notified."

While the plane was still in the air, two F-15 Air National Guard fighter jets took off from Portland, Oregon. In audio recordings, an air traffic control operator can be heard trying to point the man to the airfield at Joint-Base Lewis McChord.

"We're just trying to find a place for you to land safely," the operator said.

Sea-Tac Airport was put on an immediate ground stop once the plane took off. The airport said operations have since returned to normal.

KING 5 has several crews covering the incident. MORE TO COME. </s> SEATAC, Wash. -- An airline employee stole an empty Horizon Air turboprop plane, took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and crashed late Friday, officials said. The Pierce County Sheriff's Office said the man was 29 and "suicidal." The man has been identified as Richard Russell.

Ed Troyer, a spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, said on Twitter that preliminary information suggests the crash occurred because the man was "doing stunts in air or lack of flying skills."

There was no connection to terrorism and no others were involved, said Troyer. It was believed the man, whose name was not immediately released, was killed.

Follow this thread for official info. This is not a terrorist incident. Confirmed info .. this is a single suicide male. We know who he is. No others involved. — Pierce Co Sheriff (@PierceSheriff) August 11, 2018

The aircraft was stolen at 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.

Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor said the man "did something foolish and may well have paid with his life."

Video showed the Horizon Air Q400 doing large loops and other dangerous maneuvers as the sun set on the Puget Sound. The Q400 is a turboprop aircraft with 76 seats. There were no passengers aboard.

The man could be heard on audio recordings telling air traffic controllers that he is "just a broken guy." An air traffic controller called him "Rich," and tried to convince him to land the airplane.

"There is a runway just off to your right side in about a mile," the controller says, reffering to an airfield at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

"Oh man. 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?"

"I've got a lot of people that care about me," the man later said. "It's going to disappoint them to hear that I did this...Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess."

Authorities said the man was a 3.5-year Horizon employee and had clearance to be among aircraft. They also said he didn't have a pilot's license, and that it is unclear how he attained the skills to do loops in the aircraft before crashing about an hour after taking off.

They said he used a machine called a pushback tractor to first maneuver the aircraft so he could board and then take off Friday evening. The man went through various background checks to get clearance to be in the secured area, according to authorities.

The plane crashed on Ketron Island, a small island in the Puget Sound that is home to about two dozen residents.

How was a man able to steal and pilot a plane?

Witnesses reported seeing the plane being chased by military aircraft before it crashed. Troyer said two F-15 military planes scrambled out of Portland, Oregon, and were in the air "within a few minutes" and the pilots kept "people on the ground safe." He said the military planes were not involved in the crash.

Gary Beck, President and CEO of Horizon Air, said in a statement the plane crashed "about an hour" after it left Sea-Tac airport.

The U.S. Coast Guard sent a 45-foot vessel to the crash scene after witnesses reported seeing a large plume of smoke in the air, Petty Officer Ali Flockerzi said. Video showed fiery flames amidst trees on the island, which is sparsely populated and only accessible by ferry.

Alaska Airlines said no structures on the ground were damaged. </s> Questions still remain about how a Horizon Air employee was able to steal a plane from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
An airport mechanic steals a Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport in the United States, eventually crashing the plane on Ketron Island.