Teen Arrested After Taking Control Of Alaska Commuter Flight

Teen Arrested After Taking Control Of Alaska Commuter Flight

Alaska State Troopers say they arrested a 16-year-old boy after he grabbed the controls of the aircraft on a regional commuter flight on a Yute Commuter Service (YCS) flight.  After taking control of Alaska commuter flight, a fellow passenger took action.  The teenager was seated next to the pilot in the front seat of the 6-passenger Piper Cherokee Six.

The flight is traditionally viewed as unexciting since it only lasts four minutes.  Locals are known to joke that not much can happen during the short flight between Napakiak and Bethel.  The incident was initially reported last week by KYUK.

KYUK reported:

According to Alaska State Troopers, shortly after takeoff, a 16-year-old sitting in the front passenger seat grabbed control of the plane’s yoke and “caused the plane to enter a steep climb and then a dive towards the ground.”

A woman sitting behind the teenager grabbed the boy around the neck with her arm and pulled him away from the controls. The pilot was able to then regain control of the aircraft and return to Napakiak. The YCS agent in Napakiak called the Village Public Safety Officer to detain the teenager, but the teenager ran away before the officer could take him into custody. The next day, law enforcement located and arrested the teenager in Bethel.

According to the YCS website, the airline services passengers, charters, and cargo flights from the “YK Delta and beyond.”  The companies home base is located in Bethel, Alaska.   The airline services the Bethel to Napakiak route Monday-Saturday, twice a day.  The flights operate 9:30am and 5:30pm and cost $75.