News
Stolen airliner crashes near U.S. Open venue
A stolen commercial airline from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Friday night crashed outside Chambers Bay golf course.
According to airport and local authorities, an employee for Horizon Air managed to get into the cockpit of one of the airline's Q400 turboprops models, and was able to get the plane in the air. Officials remain unclear how he was able to do so, as he did not have a pilot's license.
For 90 minutes, the 29-year-old man, whom authorities have described as "suicidal," did stunts and maneuvers in the sky. Two military planes were soon in pursuit, and tailed the man for the rest of his journey around Seattle and Puget Sound. The man was in constant communication with the control tower. Officials believed he ultimately crashed when trying to land.
The plane went down right outside the Chambers Bay confines, with those on the ground capturing video of the stolen airliner:
No passengers or crew appeared to be aboard the 76-seat plane, while the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said it was “not a terrorist incident.”
Chambers Bay hosted the U.S. Open in 2015, as well as the 2010 U.S. Amateur. It is listed as the second-best course in Washington according to Golf Digest's Best in State rankings.