Officials: Man who stole plane, died in crash not a pilot

Investigators are piecing together how an airline ground agent stole an empty commercial airplane, took off from SeaTac International Airport and crashed into a small island in the Puget Sound after being chased by military jets that were quickly scrambled to intercept the aircraft.

Officials said Saturday that the man was a 3.5-year Horizon Airlines employee and had clearance to be among aircraft, but that to their knowledge, he wasn’t a licensed pilot.

The 29-year-old used a machine called a pushback tractor to first manoeuvr the aircraft, which was in a maintenance area, so he could board and then take off Friday evening, authorities said.

A U.S. official briefed on the matter told The Associated Press the man was Richard Russell. The official wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Video showed the Horizon Air Q400, a turboprop plane that seats 76 people, doing large loops and other dangerous manoeuvres as the sun set on Puget Sound.

Two F-15C aircraft were scrambled from Portland and pursued the plane but authorities say they didn’t fire on it before it crashed on tiny Ketron Island, southwest of Tacoma, Washington.

Video showed fiery flames amid trees on the island, which is sparsely populated and only accessible by ferry.

No structures on the ground were damaged by the plane, which sparked a small wildfire.