Stolen Plane At Seattle Airport Crashes

An airline employee who stole an empty passenger plane from Seattle airport has crashed on a nearby island.

Authorities said the man had made “an unauthorised take-off” late on Friday local time, forcing Seattle Tacoma International Airport to close.

Two F15 fighter jets pursued the plane.

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said it was “not a terrorist incident”, adding the man was local and aged 29.

According to the Seattle Times, air traffic control, who referred to the man by what is believed to be his first name, tried to encourage him to land.

The newspaper describes him as sounding “carefree and wild” in the audio.

A number of videos on social media show the plane flying over the area in an erratic manner.

It is believed that the pilot who is the only passenger in the plane died in the crash.

By BBC