PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — When a Horizon Airlines employee stole an empty 76-seat turboprop from Sea-Tac Airport on August 10, F-15 aircraft scrambled out of Portland and were in the air “within a few minutes.”
Thursday, those pilots and the ground crew were officially commended for their actions that kept “people on the ground safe.”
Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy congratulated the 142nd Fighter Wing airmen and women who helped navigate the stolen Horizon plane from Seattle with commemorative coins.
“Once a week, they often get scrambled over 1,800 times,” Gen. O’Shaughnessy said. “Since 9/11, they have scrambled to intercept aircrafts all resulting in very positive outcomes.”
Shortly after the Horizon Air Q400 was stolen and started doing large loops and other dangerous maneuvers, two F-15 planes were launched from Portland. The pilots were told to fly supersonic to get to the plane as soon as possible.
“When that call came in, it was clearly unanticipated,” Col. Adam Sitler, the commander of the 142nd Fighter Wing, said. “The team was ready. We practice all the time.”
The stolen plane eventually crashed on the Southern tip of Ketron Island — while the Fighters were working to redirect that plane over the Pacific Ocean. However, the situation could have been worse.
“As recent events show, it’s vitally important that we maintain forces on alert 100% at a time, so that we can respond no matter what happens,” Gen. O’Shaughnessy said.
Richard Russell, 29, died in the crash of the Horizon airplane.
The pilots are part of the 142nd Fighter Wing that patrols the skies between northern California and the Canadian border on a round-the-clock mission.