He stole a 76-seat Bombardier Q400 from Seattle-Tacoma Airport. Two NORAD F-15s scrambled from Portland. He was in contact with Air Traffic Control, apologized to his family. Said he was unwilling to land at a military base because "they would rough me up". Directed out over the Pacific by the fighters, crashed on an uninhabited island in Puget Sound.
A witness claimed he did a loop-de-loop but I didn't see it in his video.
I am completely convinced that suicidal depression can always be cured.
He had all the proper security credentials. He had been working his shift and was believed to still be in uniform. The baggage handler didn't seem out of place at all — until he was taxiing down the runway and taking off in a stolen passenger plane.
Media outlets identified him as Richard Russell, a 27-year-old who sparked a combination of amazement and fear as he flew — alone — a 76-seat Horizon Air Q400 plane for more than an hour before it crashed on a wooded area on Ketron Island south of Seattle.
He did a barrel roll. A daring swoop. Officials said they didn't believe he even had a pilot's license. "Incredible," Horizon Air President and Chief Executive Gary Beck said Saturday.
But investigators are still trying to understand why he decided to take the plane for a what appeared to be joy ride Friday evening from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The act also reignited discussions about airport and aviation security, with Alaska Airlines Chairman and CEO Brad Tilden repeating several times Saturday that passenger and employee safety was — and is — the company's primary concern.
Also at CNN.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 12 2018, @02:40PM (4 children)
Sounds like a fun suicide, though uninspired and extremely expensive I guess he didn't need to give a shit.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 12 2018, @03:43PM (3 children)
That's what I thought. A glorious way to go. Am somewhat disappointed with the USAF not shooting at him, suicide by cop usually being a sure shot - ha-ha - in the good old US of A.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 12 2018, @05:36PM (2 children)
Shooting down a large plane over densely populated area? Great idea.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ketron+Island/@47.1877804,-122.4179818,11z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x5491079acbc43177:0x683406033b109b80!8m2!3d47.1563229!4d-122.6341679 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 13 2018, @10:23AM
Using privacy destroying google services? Great idea.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 13 2018, @02:08PM
Except it was not shot down.
No internets cookie for you, today.