Although it’s old news, the accident involving a joyride by a ground service employee flying one of Horizon Air’s Bombardier Q400s from Sea-Tac Airport on August 10 still resonates. The flight terminated in a fireball on Ketron Island, approximately 30 miles southwest of Seattle. After almost four decades as an airline pilot, I’m left shaking my head. Why would this seemingly under-the-radar (pun not intended), likable 29-year-old make a decision that jeopardized lives on the ground, ultimately ending in his untimely demise?
Joyride to Oblivion
Key Takeaways:
- The Horizon Air ground service employee was able to steal the Q400 due to authorized access as a ground crew member and likely gained flying skills from observing pilots and using sophisticated flight simulators.
- The author, an experienced pilot, expresses surprise at the perpetrator's ability to perform complex maneuvers, attributing his actions to a combination of fantasy, temporary insanity, and the allure of flight.
- The incident exposed operational and security vulnerabilities, leading the author to suggest practical preventative measures such as locking cockpit doors with flight crew-only access or electronic keypads.
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