Plane Crashes After Apparently Being Stolen from Sea-Tac Airport

A plane took off from Sea-Tac Airport earlier tonight after having apparently been stolen. Per multiple reports, the plane has crashed.

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.

— Sea-Tac Airport (@SeaTacAirport) August 11, 2018

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

— Pierce Co Sheriff (@PierceSheriff) August 11, 2018

#BREAKING: A senior federal aviation source tells ABC News that a ground employee got a hold of an empty Horizon Air Dash-8 — ATC was in communication with the pilot and was able to vector the pilot away from the city. NORAD scrambled fighters.
Aircraft crashed on Ketron Island

— Jeffrey Cook (@JeffreyCook) August 11, 2018

Video of the stolen Q400 out of @SeaTacAirport being chased by an F-15 pic.twitter.com/L2RhTJnpga

— Strategic Sentinel (@StratSentinel) August 11, 2018

Incident at #SeaTac airport. We just got off the phone with an Alaska Air passenger who was about to take off but the captain told them a Horizon Air employee stole an empty plane and was flying it around erratically. Working to get more information @komonews @SeaTacAirport pic.twitter.com/CT2BvKP5pn

— Tammy Mutasa (@TammyKOMO) August 11, 2018

Planes are taking off from #SeaTacAirport after service was halted following a plane stolen from the airport pic.twitter.com/nFwxiELoev

— Bettina Hansen (@bettinahansen) August 11, 2018

Alaska Airlines earlier confirmed there was an “unauthorized take-off”:

We are aware of an incident involving an unauthorized take-off of a Horizon Air Q400. We believe there are no passengers on board. More information as we learn more.

— Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) August 11, 2018

You can watch live coverage from KING5 above.

[image via screengrab]

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

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