7 months ago. The man has been identified as Richard Russell, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation confirmed to CNN on Saturday night. Its the first time that weve had a commercial aircraft stolen off the ramp of an active airport, Steven Armstrong, vice director of operations for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), told Rolling Stone. "Nah, I mean, I don't need that much help. At least 12 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Trump speaks at CPAC after winning straw poll, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. Bush, Duo of 81-year-old women plan to see the world in 80 days, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant to "take some time away" from the team after allegedly brandishing a gun in a club, Alex Murdaugh trial: What to know about the double murder case, Officials say man who stole plane was suicidal. "Russell was known as a quiet guy who read a lot," according to one witness statement. The plane eventually crashed on sparsely populated Ketron Island, starting a fire in the woods but injuring no one outside the plane. A Warner Bros. Those guys will rough me up if I try and land there," the man responded, later adding, "This is probably jail time for life, huh? August 11, 2018 / 11:29 PM Relatives of Richard Russell say they are "stunned and heartbroken" after the airline worker stole a passenger plane Friday from the Seattle-Tacoma . I don't want to. Neither the men nor the plane has ever been seen again. Airline officials believe he was in uniform and worked a shift Friday, Tilden said. Richard Russell, 'Rich': 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know At one point he asks the controller, Hey, do you think if I land this successfully, Alaska [Horizon Airs parent company, Alaska Airllines] will give me a job as a pilot? Told, You know, I think they would give you a job doing anything if you could pull this off, Russell replies, Yeah right! Richard Russell: Details emerge of a 'compassionate' man after Seattle plane heist and fiery crash By Alex Horton August 13, 2018 at 8:01 a.m. EDT A Horizon Air employee described as. The family of a man who authorities saystole an airplane from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and later crashed it called him a faithful husband, loving son and good friend. Mr Russell's aerial joyride ultimately ended in a fiery crash on a remote island in Puget Sound. "I never thought I would work as a Ground Service Agent (GSA) for an Airlines company," he wrote in a blog post in September 2017. The jets were not involved in the crash, it said. Russell took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at 7.32pm on Friday and flew, tailed by F-15 Eagle jets, until the plane crashed at 8.47pm into Ketron Island, located 25 miles. Despite the timing of the crash during prime fire season, the fires in the video seemed to be small and scattered. The Sky Thief Richard Russell Plane Crash Video Gone Viral: What The rest of Mr Russell's time in the air was well documented, thanks to his regular contact with SeaTac's tower. "Never really knew it till now," he said. In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt that says "The Sky's No Limit." "It's going to disappoint them to hear that I did thisJust a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess.". Richard Russell, 29, walks through employee security screening at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. July 13, 1994. Richard Russell Posted a Video on YouTube About Being a Baggage Handler Play VideoVideo related to richard russell, 'rich': 5 fast facts you need to know 2018-08-11T15:04:15-04:00 In a. Late Friday, a Horizon Air employee believed to be Russell stole an empty turboprop plane, took off from SeaTac and crashed on Ketron Island, a small island in the Puget Sound that is home to about two dozen residents. Please enter valid email address to continue. About to take off. Besides his other duties, he was qualified to tow aircraft, said Gary Beck, Horizon Air's president and chief executive officer. video Plane crashes near Seattle airport. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Newly released CCTV footage shows airport employee Richard Russell stealing an Alaska Airlines plane before fatally crashing it into a Washington island, the New York Post reports. Jason Silverstein contributed to this report. Newly released CCTV footage shows airport employee Richard Russell stealing an Alaska Airlines plane before fatally crashing it into a Washington island, the New York Post reports . CNN's Kyung Lah reports.. Investigators on Saturday were trying to retrieve the plane's flight data recorder and its cockpit voice recorder. The sheriff's department described Russell as suicidal. "Oh man. At one point, he apologizes and says he is a "broken guy" with "a few screws loose. What was the richard russell plane crash story all about. Lastly, we've been reporting a lot only on the most famous case of suspected pilot suicide, Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, and this weekend's tragedy bears at least a few similarities. ", The statement said Russell, 29, was "a faithful husband, a loving son and a good friend. Remains of airline worker who stole, crashed plane found on island in Officials don't believe Russell had a pilot's license, and they don't know how he knew to fly the plane. Videos Show Richard Russell's Final Moments Before Shocking Plane Crash I mean, I would hope it is, for a guy like me. Authorities said he used a tractor to rotate the plane 180 degrees, positioning it so that he could taxi toward a runway. August 13, 2018 / 5:34 AM the moments leading up to an airport worker crashing a stolen airplane, FBI released more information about Russell and the incident, employees and family didn't notice anything wrong, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Could 3 Particles on a Tie Lead Us to D.B. Later that day he stole an Alaska Air turboprop aircraft and crashed it into a remote island in Puget Sound. The reason I left is in February of 2016 they were short staffed and they had me run three planes in the same time, Reeves said. They said it's not clear whether he had ever taken flight lessons or used flight simulators, or where he gained the skills to take off. I don't need that much help. Richard Russell was a suicidal airport ground services worker who stole an airplane from Sea-Tac International Airport in Seattle, Washington, and took it on a dramatic unauthorized flight,. "Seattle Ground, Horizon Guy. "Last night's event is going to push us to learn what we can from this tragedy so that we can ensure this does not happen again at Alaska Air Group or at any other airline," Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Airlines, told a news conference Saturday. On the other hand, Russell was reported to have been profoundly troubled, whereas Malaysian authorities were unable to find any evidence that Shah suffered from mental illness or was undergoing any kind of stress in his life. Richard Russell said he didn't need much help: 'I've played some video "He worked his shift yesterday, we believe he was in uniform, his job is to be around airplanes," said Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Air Group, which owns Horizon Air. According to his Facebook page, which had limited public access, he was from Wasilla, Alaska, and lived in Sumner, Washington, and was married in 2012. Within minutes of the plane's takeoff, the military scrambled two armed F-15 jets from Oregon to follow it, according to local and airline authorities and two sources with knowledge of the situation. Later, a controller discusses getting a pilot on the radio to help Russell control the aircraft. Im coming home! But it was not to be. Russell repeatedly says he would do a roll. Richard Russell plane crash video from Sea-Tac | wltx.com It was empty, parked at a Seattle-Tacoma International Airport cargo and maintenance area for the night after arriving from Victoria, British Columbia, earlier in the day. Alaska Airlines flight 261 took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on the morning of August 10, 2018. The man could be heard on audio recordings telling air traffic controllers that he is "just a broken guy." He later stole the plane and eventually crashed it into an island in Puget Sound. SEATAC, Wash. - It was a shocking scene above the Puget Sound, as Horizon Airlines employee Richard Russell stole and flew a turboprop from Sea-Tac Airport while air traffic tried to talk him . Russell was recorded having multiple conversations with air traffic controllers who were trying to talk him into landing. No one noticed the plane had disappeared until Mr Russell was in the air. He was right in saying that there are so many people who have loved him.". FBI released more information about Russell and the incident earlier this year, including witness statements from family, friends, and co-workers. Details of man who sources say stole airplane from Sea-Tac, Officials: Man who stole plane, died in crash not a pilot, Woman faces decades in prison after lying about murder, Do you have an investigative story tip? Tragic as Russell's death was, he could have inflicted vastly more damage had he been so inclined. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. The Pierce County Medical Examiners Office has confirmed the remains belong to Richard Russell, who took the empty Horizon Air turboprop plane from Sea-Tac Airport. New Footage Shows Moments Before Seattle Man Crashed Plane in - YouTube Newly-obtained surveillance video from 2018 shows how Richard Russell, then a Horizon Ground service agent with no pilot experience, successfully stole the plane before crashing to his. The Seattle FBI office said Sunday that it had recovered the flight data recorder and components of the cockpit voice recorder from the Horizon plane. Minimum wage, we'll chalk it up to that. ", Referring to audio recordings of Russell talking to air traffic control during his hour-long flight, the statement said his "intent was not to harm anyone. Mr Russell was at times jovial at one point he assured SeaTac's tower that he didn't need help controlling the airplane because he had played some video games and questioned if it could do a backflip and was at others melancholic. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Not long before the crash, a pilot who'd been helping controllers advise Russell appears to mention the maneuver. Witnesses described the surreal scene after the plane left the airport. They say says this is a complete shock. He complimented the controller: "You are very calm, collect, poised," he said. Cooper? In a final video project set to cheery music, Russell included selfies from airport grounds and photos from his many trips. "He was a quiet guy," Rick Christenson, an operational supervisor with the airline who retired in Maytold The Seattle Times. He flew until the plane ran out of fuel and died in the ensuing crash. Horizon airline employee, 28-year-old Richard 'Bebo' Russell, stole a plane and took off before crashing into remote Pierce County island "There is a protocol to not allow anyone singularly to get onboard an aircraft," Soucie said. Richard "Beebo" Russell, the Horizon Air employee who stole a plane from Sea-Tac Airport on Friday night, performed midair acrobatics over Puget Sound and then crashed into an island, was an. Russell is then seen walking into a restricted area meant for baggage handlers, getting onto a tarmac tow vehicle, and dragging the plane he was set to steal onto the runway. Surveillance footage obtained by KOMO shows 28-year-old Richard Russell using a tow vehicle to pull a Horizon Air Q400 aircraft onto the tarmac before climbing into the cockpit on August 10, 2018. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. Richard Russell: quiet, well-liked Seattle airport worker who stole a plane With its premium plus plan, youll be able to browse flight deals going for up to 90% off in business, premium economy, and economy class. Richard Russell: 'Heartbroken' family of Seattle airline employee - CNN "Our hearts are with the families of the individual aboard as well as all of our Alaska Air and Horizon Air employees," said Constance von Muehlen, the airline's chief operating officer. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. A beautifully-written Rolling Stone article published in summer of 2021 tells the story of Russells life up to the moment he towed the plane onto the runway and hopped in the cockpit, attempting to find meaning or motive to help explain why this goofy, God-fearing baggage handler decided to steal a plane he likely knew he couldnt successfully land. "I lift a lot of bags. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. "Here we have an employee who was vetted to the level to have access to the aircraft and had a skill set proficient enough to take off with that plane.". Like a lot of bags. "My husband and I are recently former Boeing employees, and we were wondering why a jet was near the passenger airplane," she said. Russell took the Q400 from a cargo area at the north end of Sea-Tac Airport on August 10. 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(AFP/Getty Images) Russell, 29, flew the plane for 75 . In audio recordings released over the internet, Russell can be heard chatting in an upbeat, enthusiastic tone with the air traffic controllers trying to talk him down. "Tower, you need to call and scramble now," one Alaska Air pilot called out. He said flying was a "blast" and that he didn't need much help: "I've played some video games before.". I was kinda hoping that was going to be it. MH370 captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah was a flight-sim enthusiast who is known to have taken a simulated flight path similar to the one authorities believe the plane ultimately took into the southern Indian Ocean. It seemed like such miserable work and I never could imagine why anyone would want to subject themselves to all the constant noise, gas fumes, and heavy lifting. New footage shows airport worker Richard Russell steal plane and last updated 2018-08-12 08:56:01-04. Now let's land that airplane safely and don't hurt anybody on the ground," the helping pilot radios. Russell was credentialed to be in secure areas at the airport, said Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Air Group, which owns Horizon Air. Please dont hesitate to utilize this resource. The fuselage was fragmented and appeared to be upside down, said Debra Eckrote, regional chief for the National Transportation Safety Board. The agency says the 28-year-old's loved ones hosted an intervention for him, who "seemed fine" besides increased drinking. Photos show first responders that night sleeping outside on the ground. Colton Harris Moore only got 6 years for stealing a plane and crashing it. There were no passengers aboard. ", First published on August 13, 2018 / 5:34 AM. 2023 Cox Media Group. He had no purpose to be at that plane Friday evening "other than what he did do," Tilden said. So many bags," he said. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his travels. I don't know, man! video Plane crashes near Seattle airport. KIRO 7 News Seattle facebook feed(Opens a new window), KIRO 7 News Seattle twitter feed(Opens a new window), KIRO 7 News Seattle youtube feed(Opens a new window), Who was Richard Russell? The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Sunday that Russell had died in the fiery wreckage, but whether the crash was deliberate or accidental was one of several topics remaining for investigators. Surveillance footage obtained by KOMO shows 28-year-old Richard Russell using a tow vehicle to pull a Horizon Air Q400 aircraft onto the tarmac before climbing into the cockpit on August 10, 2018. I don't know! In fact, there have been a number of occurrences in recent decades in which ground personnel made off with aircraft. Potential targets included tens of thousands of fans assembling at Safeco Field, about 12 miles away, for a sold-out Pearl Jam concert just as he took off. . Horizon airline employee, 28-year-old Richard 'Bebo' Russell, stole a plane and took off before crashing into remote Pierce County island More Videos Next up in 5 Russell was "tow certified" and had full security access, and had been with the company for three and a half years, CBS News' Jamie Yuccas reports. The Surveillance footage obtained by KOMO shows 28-year-old Richard Russell using a tow vehicle to pull a Horizon Air Q400 aircraft onto the tarmac before climbing into the . 2023 Cable News Network. "A couple of the turns, it looked like what we call in basic flight training a 'coordinated turn,' meaning that he not only used the yoke but you also coordinate with the rudders and you do the turns. Russell echoed those claims in his last conversation with air traffic control. For one, Russell shouldn't have been able to board the plane alone, he said. The worker performed several aerial stunts in the stolen aircraft before ultimately crashing on Ketron Island. It's gonna be crazy," Mr Russel said. New video shows crash site of stolen plane | CNN This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The theft illustrated what aviation experts have long known: One of the biggest potential perils for commercial air travel is airline or airport employees causing mayhem. The newly published video, coupled with Rolling Stones detailed reconstruction of the events of August 10, 2018, paint the picture of a cheerful, gregarious fellow. He said his actions were "going to disappoint" the people who cared for him, and described himself as "just a broken guy" with "a few screws loose, I guess.". Man who took Horizon Air plane from Sea-Tac Airport was quiet, well He did not survive the crash. F-15 "pilots kept plane out of harms way and people on ground safe," the sheriff's office tweeted. The photos provided some of the most compelling images: tree trunks sheared in half by the impact of the crash and parts of the Horizon Air Q400 Turboprop littered throughout the debris field. "I would like to apologize to each and every one of them. He eventually climbs inside the cockpit and fires up the engine. Moore stole (or stole and crashed) multiple airplanes, multiple boats, dozens of cars, etc. If you miss out on Thursday, no worries! Every time I traveled I would look out my plane window and see these sullen looking individuals leisurely pacing around, or hectically throwing bags into a cart. It was one of the strangest, scariest, most bizarre events of 2018: A baggage handler at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport moseyed onto the tarmac, hopped in an unoccupied Horizon Air passenger plane, taxied to an empty runway, and took off. Win Your Trip to Our 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards! This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. But could you start a left-hand turn, please?". By Louis Lucero II and Melissa Gomez. The FBI also said it found human remains among the wreckage. How was a man able to steal and pilot a plane? Russell, 29 is presumed dead. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Richard Russell: Authorities don't believe man who stole Dash-8 Q400 Investigators "did not identify any information that would suggest the theft of the aircraft was related to wider criminal activity or terrorist ideology," according to a summary of the FBI report. Richard Russell Plane Crash Video From Seattle | Heavy.com Richard "Beebo" Russell (Screenshot from YouTube via AP) SEATTLE - The Horizon Air baggage handler who stole a commercial airplane from Sea-Tac Airport and took it for a 73-minute joy ride . "There is a runway just off to your right side in about a mile," the controller says, reffering to an airfield at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. When Rolling Stone published its article last year, no major regulatory or security changes had been implemented in response to Russells deadly flight. strangest, scariest, most bizarre events of 2018. He was in the air for about an hour. After proceeding through the pre-flight checklist and moving the pushback tractor, Mr Russell began rolling the plane toward a runway. Relatives of Richard Russell say they are "stunned and heartbroken" after the airline worker stole a passenger plane Friday from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and was killed when he crashed 25 miles away. He was immediately killed. Indeed, in transcripts of his conversation with air-traffic control as he zig-zags the stolen plane through the airspace above the 15th-largest city in the U.S. (some of which can be heard in the video above), Russells demeanor goes from awestruck, to giddy, to fearful, to guilty, as he seems to process in real-time the weight of what hes done, and the unlikelihood that hell survive.
An airline employee stole an otherwise unoccupied passenger plane Friday from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and flew it for an hour with military jets chasing him before crashing in a wooded area 40 miles away.
. Horizon's parent company, Alaska Airlines, refused to comment on claims of workers being overworked or underpaid. Sky King (RE-POST with new footage) || The Day an Airline Employee The plane was a Bombardier Q400, a turboprop that seats 76 people, owned by Horizon Air, part of Alaska Airlines. Russell, a Horizon Air ground service agent for three and a half years, was the only person aboard the plane, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department said. .css-v1xtj3{display:block;font-family:FreightSansW01,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:100;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-v1xtj3:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-v1xtj3{font-size:1.1387rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-v1xtj3{line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-v1xtj3{font-size:1.18581rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.5rem;margin-top:0rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-v1xtj3{font-size:1.23488rem;line-height:1.2;margin-top:0.9375rem;}}A 777 Nearly Plunged Into the Ocean After Takeoff, Sudden FAA Failure Grounds U.S. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. The incident is bizarre and tragic, but it is not unprecedented. NORAD scrambled two F-15 to try to shepherd Russell away from populated areas of Seattle, but at 8:46 PM, Russell crashed the plane into an uninhabited part of Ketron Island in Puget Sound. 2. Who Was Richard Russell? Man Steals Airplane and Crashes | Time It's unclear exactly what Mr Russell is doing during this time, but he eventually takes control of a pushback tug and readies the Alaska Air plane for takeoff. Having to rely on the ferry system for transport, the first 40 responding firefighters stayed at the scene throughout the night. Family and friends try to reconcile Richard Russell's action with the "I thought they were practicing for an air show," he said. "Yeah, he knew how to fly," she continued. In a statement, the family says Richard Russell, whose nickname was "Beebo," was warm, kind and gentle. Authorities sent fighter jets to escort him, and the controller repeatedly tried to direct him to runways. The incident, which the FBI's Seattle office did not consider terrorism, raises questions about airport security. Mr Russell's aerial joyride ultimately ended in a fiery crash on a remote island in Puget Sound. By Jeff Wise Published: Aug 13, 2018 JASON REDMOND // Getty Images "You think if I land this successfully, Alaska will give me a job as a pilot?" New Video Shows When Richard Russell Stole a Plane at Sea-Tac - Jalopnik It did not elaborate. On board was 29-year-old Richard Russell, a baggage handler for Horizon Air who is also flying the plane for unknown reason. After the plane approached Ketron Island, Waldron saw a thick column of smoke followed by a loud explosion, he said.