Wild Night in Cooper Country
While the Formans and I were talking with William Thorp from Societie Magazine, 30 miles to the west Cooper Country was going crazy as "Rich" from Alaska Air stole a Q400 and went for a joy ride.
We never saw anything, and I didn't know about it until I started cruising the Internet when I got home. Most of you probably know the basics, but KIRO-TV is giving great updates, and it's currently 1 am Tacoma time as I write this.
According to KIRO, they are being told by aviation crews at Sea-Tac that "Rich" was a normal guy with a security clearance that allowed him to work in the ground "Tow Team" operations. This op ferried shuttle aircraft like the Q400s back from the small passenger gates where they unload folks back to the hangars and maintenance yards. The planes' props are not usually fired-up, and the planes are towed back by the ground tugs. But, it's a two man job, with one guy driving the tug and the second guy in the cockpit steering things, as I understand the procedure.
After one towing operation this evening, Rich un-hitched a Q400 in a cargo hangar, cranked her up, and started taxiing down to Sea-Tac's main runway. He entered the queue from the cargo taxiway, which confused everyone, and then Rich jumped the line and took-off. He started his escapade at approximately at 8 pm, and did his barrel rolls and fly-bys for the next hour-plus. He supposedly flew over Eatonville and elsewhere over Pierce County, but we neither heard nor saw anything. At dark, approximately at 9:45 pm, Rich augured into Ketron Island and burned up.
Ketron is about 200 acres, with only a dozen people living on it.
KIRO is reporting that Rich had no formal pilot training, but how did he do barrel rolls? Any thoughts on how much training his flying would require? On the Seattle Center communications with Rich that are broadcast he talks about his video game playing as teaching him how to do rolls. Really?? C'mon.
IN the meantime, Sea-Tac experienced a Nov 24, 1971 evening. All planes were grounded and it became chaotic in the air and at all the terminals. The gates were jammed, with loaded planes looking for a parking space on taxiways. As a result, in-bound flights were diverted to neighboring airports in Yakima and Spokane - all on a hot Friday night in the summer. Whew. Hearing the diversion stories reminded by of Everett Johnson having to circle Paine Field in Everett on his way back from the San Juan Islands, and needing an emergency landing clearance because he was running out of fuel in his Kenair float plane.
But everyone is safe, so to speak, other than Rich, who is off on his next adventure in consciousness.
