What happened
On a recent flight operation involving the registration N865AS, a Boeing 777 (operated as flight DL7772) arrived at Saint George Airport, Utah. The aircraft had completed its journey from Salt Lake City and was parked on the ramp for the night following the arrival of the crew. All passengers and occupants had deplaned, leaving the aircraft secured but not locked.
Shortly after midnight, an unauthorized individual, identified as a commercial pilot, breached the airport perimeter by climbing over a barbed wire fence. The individual gained access to the Boeing 777 by opening the unsecured door and successfully started the engines. The aircraft began moving under its own power, traveling several meters before colliding with the terminal building. After passing through a perimeter fence, the aircraft finally came to a stop in a nearby parking lot.
Findings
The incident resulted in 1 fatality and no reported injuries to others at the scene. The pilot responsible for the unauthorized movement died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside the cockpit. Local law enforcement stated that the motive behind the theft was related to a personal tragedy involving the death of the pilot's girlfriend in Colorado Springs earlier that day.