Description

On August 10, 2018, a Horizon Air De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 was stolen from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (Sea–Tac) by 28-year-old Richard Russell, a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. After Russell performed an unauthorized takeoff, two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighters were scrambled to intercept the aircraft. Sea–Tac air traffic control made radio contact with Russell, the sole occupant, who described himself as "just a guy," and "broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess." About 1 hour and 15 minutes after takeoff, Russell successfully executed a barrel roll before he crashed the aircraft on sparsely populated Ketron Island in Puget Sound, killing only himself.