A plane has been stolen from Seattle-Tacoma international airport by an airline employee and crashed, authorities have confirmed after F-15 fighter jets were scrambled and flights grounded in a major security incident.
Military pilots contacted the rogue aircraft and it crashed soon afterwards, said local media, citing sources at the US air force Joint Base Lewis–McChord (JBLM) in Washington state. The plane came down on Ketron Island in the Puget Sound waterway about 25 miles south-west of the airport. Aerial television footage showed a fire in amongst trees.
A law enforcement spokesperson said the incident was a suicide. The pilot was described as a 29-year-old ground service agent. The person had crashed by “doing stunts in air or lack of flying skills”, the Pierce County sheriff’s department said on Twitter.
Cnn reporter in Crewe quoted Buriramboy "couldn't give a flying fook! Excuse me as my fence needs another coat of paint"