by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist
Last night an as-yet-unidentified young man stole a passenger airplane from the SeaTac International Airport near Seattle and went for a joyride. He was in the air more than an hour during which time he flew around Mt. Rainier and out over the islands of Puget Sound. He also "shot the shit' with air traffic controllers and joked about possibly getting a job with Alaska Airlines (the plane's owner) as a pilot after completing his flight. He also did some aerial acrobatics including, according to some reports, a loop-de-loop, before finally crashing on Ketron Island. The outlaw pilot is believed to have died in the crash.
One air traffic controller called the high flyer "Rich," and some reports indicate that he was a 29-year-old airplane mechanic with the Alaska Airlines Group.
Most news reports are saying that the young flyer was likely to have been suicidal, but there are also strong indications that he was a disaffected youth who was out for a good time and perhaps to make a point or two. During his chatter with the air traffic controllers he referred to himself as "Just a broken guy. Got a few screws loose, I guess." He also lamented that his actions were going to disappoint people who knew him. At another point, however, the outlaw pilot also seemed be signaling that his action was a protest against minimum wage.
But he was also having a good time. The young man circled Mt. Rainier in his stolen 76-passenger aircraft and said he might check out the Olympics (mountains) as well. He also asked for coordinates to help him locate the mother orca who has been carrying her dead calf off of the coast of Washington for more than two weeks.
The sightseeing and aerial acrobatics ended when two fighter jets out of Portland, Oregon, caught up with renegade flyer and began controlling his flight path. He soon crashed on Ketron, apparently not shot down by the pursuing fighter jets.
But for an hour or more last night a young outlaw ruled the skies around northwest Washington state. He was making a statement, one that may never be fully understood, and the world was listening. He ruled it all - the lord of the skies - a flying god who ripped trough the darkness and then lit the night as he crashed to earth.
Rich went for a grand joyride - and he flew high. Perhaps he still is flying high.
Citizen Journalist
Last night an as-yet-unidentified young man stole a passenger airplane from the SeaTac International Airport near Seattle and went for a joyride. He was in the air more than an hour during which time he flew around Mt. Rainier and out over the islands of Puget Sound. He also "shot the shit' with air traffic controllers and joked about possibly getting a job with Alaska Airlines (the plane's owner) as a pilot after completing his flight. He also did some aerial acrobatics including, according to some reports, a loop-de-loop, before finally crashing on Ketron Island. The outlaw pilot is believed to have died in the crash.
One air traffic controller called the high flyer "Rich," and some reports indicate that he was a 29-year-old airplane mechanic with the Alaska Airlines Group.
Most news reports are saying that the young flyer was likely to have been suicidal, but there are also strong indications that he was a disaffected youth who was out for a good time and perhaps to make a point or two. During his chatter with the air traffic controllers he referred to himself as "Just a broken guy. Got a few screws loose, I guess." He also lamented that his actions were going to disappoint people who knew him. At another point, however, the outlaw pilot also seemed be signaling that his action was a protest against minimum wage.
But he was also having a good time. The young man circled Mt. Rainier in his stolen 76-passenger aircraft and said he might check out the Olympics (mountains) as well. He also asked for coordinates to help him locate the mother orca who has been carrying her dead calf off of the coast of Washington for more than two weeks.
The sightseeing and aerial acrobatics ended when two fighter jets out of Portland, Oregon, caught up with renegade flyer and began controlling his flight path. He soon crashed on Ketron, apparently not shot down by the pursuing fighter jets.
But for an hour or more last night a young outlaw ruled the skies around northwest Washington state. He was making a statement, one that may never be fully understood, and the world was listening. He ruled it all - the lord of the skies - a flying god who ripped trough the darkness and then lit the night as he crashed to earth.
Rich went for a grand joyride - and he flew high. Perhaps he still is flying high.
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