Sea-Tac Airport authorized funding Tuesday to hire an independent review of the airport’s response to a stolen plane incident last month.
Richard Russell, a Horizon Air employee, took a prop plane from a cargo area on August 10. He flew it for over an hour before it crashed on Ketron Island in south Puget Sound. Nobody else was on board, and Russell’s body was recovered from the wreckage.
The independent review will work with industry stakeholders to develop solutions to improve airport security industry-wide, according to Sea-Tac Airport.
The airport is also discussing possible protocol changes with federal agencies and airline partners. Sea-Tac expects to publish those findings in December.
Sea-Tac officials are also leading a national working group on airport and aircraft security. The group will look at industry practices related to technology, security, and employee well-being.
It expects to make industry-wide recommendations in the coming months, according to Sea-Tac Airport.