In Washington, US, an airline employee stole an Alaska Airlines passenger airplane from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) on Friday.
According to Vox, the plane has since crashed on Ketron Island. No passengers are believed to have been on board.
Local media said witnesses reported seeing fighter jets chasing the plane, followed by smoke and loud boom.
Sea-Tac airport confirmed the incident on Twitter.
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
The airline employee who stole the plane was “a single suicide male,” and there were no passengers on board, and that “this is not a terrorist incident,” according to The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.
The Sheriff’s Department also tweeted "lack of flying skills caused crash into [the] Island.”
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