.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. A blog that appeared to belong to Russell as part of a multimedia content creation class at Washington State University focused on his job on a ground service agent. Russell had no piloting experience, but he managed . Im coming home! But it was not to be. among other things. He later stole the plane and eventually crashed it into an island in Puget Sound. Others include how, nearly 17 years after the 9/11 attack, someone can simply take a passenger plane from a major U.S. airport without authorization. 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. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. "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. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, On the day of his tragic flight, Mr Russell wore a shirt that said The Sky is No Limit, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile, Air Traffic Control audio reveals conversation with man who stole Alaska Airlines plane. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Meyer had recently been passed over for promotion and had been arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct. 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. 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 . NBC News Digital features NBCNews.com, MSNBC.com, TODAY.com, Nightly News, Meet the Press, Dateline, and the existing apps and digital extensions of these respective properties. 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 . Airline officials believe he was in uniform and worked a shift Friday, Tilden said. 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. The black boxes will hopefully give investigators more clues as they try to figure out why Russell flew the plane into the ground. He passed a series of background checks to gain his position, as he didn't have any criminal convictions. Recently fired airline mechanic Armando Nieto Jaramillo, 23, stole a military HS-748 transport plane from Bogot-Eldorado Airport and crashed it soon after takeoff, killing himself and three people on the ground. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his various travels. 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. 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. 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. His 75-minute flight during the golden twilight took him south and west, toward the Olympic Mountains. The plane didn't require a key, but it did require buttons and switches to be activated in a particular order. I don't know, man! Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? "So, (he) had some knowledge but clearly wasn't a commercial pilot.". The fuselage was fragmented and appeared to be upside down, said Debra Eckrote, regional chief for the National Transportation Safety Board. 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. 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. Richard B. Russell reportedly stole a Horizon Air plane for a joyride before crashing and killing himself near Seattle. / CBS/AP. You did that. Airports nationwide will now look at whether their security procedures need to change, CNN safety analyst David Soucie said. I don't know! Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. At one point, he apologizes and says he is a "broken guy" with "a few screws loose. New video shows crash site of stolen plane. Colton Harris Moore only got 6 years for stealing a plane and crashing it. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Scroll down to continue . Some speculated the plane was stolen as part of an insurance scam, or perhaps taken by terrorists who planned to use it as a flying bomb, but the truth remains unknown. What was the richard russell plane crash story all about. Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. FBI released more information about Russell and the incident earlier this year, including witness statements from family, friends, and co-workers. Tragic as Russell's death was, he could have inflicted vastly more damage had he been so inclined. Nah, Im a white guy.. If you miss out on Thursday, no worries! Richard B. Russell reportedly stole a Horizon Air plane for a joyride before crashing and killing himself near Seattle. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. It evens out in the end.". 7 months ago. It's gonna be crazy," Mr Russel said. Investigators said Richard Russell worked alone when he was working as a ground service agent for the airline, and that he towed the turboprop out a hanger, climbed into the cockpit, and took off. "NORAD fighters did not fire upon the aircraft," North American Aerospace Defense Command said Saturday morning in a news release. Ah, dammit. As the FBI investigation wrapped up earlier this week, West Pierce Fire and Rescue released some of the first footage from the scene through public disclosure. 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. We may earn a commission from links on this page. . New video released Wednesday shows what first responders found after a plane stolen from Sea-Tac Airport crashed on a south Puget Sound island last August. Ben Charles Padilla, an aircraft mechanic who held a private pilots license and was a certified flight engineer, was repairing a 727 airliner in Luanda, Angola for a Florida-based company named Aerospace Sales and Leasing. The King County medical examiner ruled his death a suicide. 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. SEATTLE -- He cracked jokes, complimented the professional demeanor of an air traffic controller and apologized for making a fuss. 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. Join the Celebration of a Lifetime! 4.3M views 7 months ago A newly released video sheds new light on the moments leading up to Richard Russell crashing a plane. The man has been identified as Richard Russell, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation confirmed to CNN on Saturday night. (DAILY NEWS VIDEO) . Winter Weather Advisory expires for much of western Washington, Intertribal comedy sketch troupe performs 'Between Two Knees' at Seattle Rep, plane stolen from Sea-Tac Airport crashed, Stolen plane narrowly missed family inside Ketron Island cabin, released the findings of its investigation, Cockpit audio from worker who stole empty plane from Sea-Tac Airport, 'I was blown away': Stepbrother of man who stole plane speaks out. 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,. 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. "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. He first can be seen wandering through security, and is spotted again later on the tarmac. Also see | 'I was blown away': Stepbrother of man who stole plane speaks out. The 76-seat Horizon Air turboprop plane took off without authorization at 7:32 p.m. local time Friday, with Russell, who was not a pilot, at the controls, officials said. 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. The worker performed several aerial stunts in the stolen aircraft before ultimately crashing on Ketron Island. He left prison after less than 5 years, on parole. ", The statement said Russell, 29, was "a faithful husband, a loving son and a good friend. The FBI will lead the investigation, said Eckrote, the NTSB regional chief. CNN's Kyung Lah reports. 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. They say says this is a complete shock. John Waldron was walking along a trail near the bay when he noticed the two military jets following a plane doing aerobatics. Investigators headed Saturday to the crash site to recover the plane's data recorders and Russell's remains as part of a criminal probe, authorities said. First published on August 11, 2018 / 4:48 PM. Video from a witness on the ground shows the plane at one point pulling up for a loop, putting the aircraft upside-down and then pulling back up just feet above a body of water. Playing What We Want In Seattle! The plane had been parked in a maintenance area and was not scheduled for a passenger flight, Tilden said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Richard Russell, 29, walks through employee security screening at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Richard Russell died in Friday's plane crash. Maybe that will grease some gears with the higher up, Russell said to air traffic controllers. Later, a controller discusses getting a pilot on the radio to help Russell control the aircraft. That's just not safe.". 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? 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. Horizon airline employee, 28-year-old Richard 'Bebo' Russell, stole a plane and took off before crashing into remote Pierce County island The job of a ground service agent includes directing aircraft for takeoff and gate approach, handling baggage and tidying and de-icing planes, authorities said. I was kinda hoping that was going to be it. A fter 29-year-old airline employee Richard B. Russell stole a plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Friday night and crashed it into Ketron Island in Puget Sound, questions remain. 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 . 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! Video released to KOMO News from the Port of Seattle capture the final moments of Richard Russell who took a Horizon Air plane from SeaTac Airport without authorization, performed acrobatic. The agency says the 28-year-old's loved ones hosted an intervention for him, who "seemed fine" besides increased drinking. The sheriff's department described Russell as suicidal. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Discovery Company. "In this plane, he certainly knew how to retract the landing gear, he coordinated both engines, powered them up to get a coordinated takeoff," she said. Now let's land that airplane safely and don't hurt anybody on the ground," the helping pilot radios. As a flight controller tried to persuade him to land, he wondered aloud about whether he had enough fuel to make it to the Olympics, talked of the beautiful view, and said he had a lot of people who cared about him, apologizing for what he was doing. [deleted] 5 yr. ago. One sketch that he posted included a drawing of a Q400 plane, the same kind of plane involved in Friday's crash. 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. Investigators on Saturday were trying to retrieve the plane's flight data recorder and its cockpit voice recorder. He did not survive the crash. 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. The man could be heard on audio recordings telling air traffic controllers that he is "just a broken guy." On board was 29-year-old Richard Russell, a baggage handler for Horizon Air who is also flying the plane for unknown reason. Russell, a 3-1/2-year Horizon employee, worked as a ground service agent. 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. The incident came about when a 29-year-old man stole an aircraft from Seattle-Tacoma International airport in August 2018. Even with this new footage at hand, its hard to figure out what made Russell embark on this brazen, fatal adventure. Officials don't believe Russell had a pilot's license, and they don't know how he knew to fly the plane.
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.
. Besides his other duties, he was qualified to tow aircraft, said Gary Beck, Horizon Air's president and chief executive officer. The plane was a Bombardier Q400, a turboprop that seats 76 people, owned by Horizon Air, part of Alaska Airlines. Four years ago, a 29-year-old man named Richard Russell managed to steal an Alaskan Airlines turboprop plane from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. 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. The agency said that, had Mr Russell wanted, he could have recovered from the dive. Richard Russell, 29, can be seen at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport driving a pushback tractor with an Alaska Air turboprop attached. Jeff Wise is a New York-based science journalist specializing in aviation and psychology. 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. ", "Well," a controller responds, "we're not going to worry or think about that. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his travels. 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. After Russell talked periodically with air traffic controllers for about an hour, the plane crashed at Ketron Island,officials said. There were no passengers aboard. video Plane crashes near Seattle airport. Like a lot of bags. and last updated 2018-08-12 08:56:01-04. Later that day he stole an Alaska Air turboprop aircraft and crashed it into a remote island in Puget Sound. F-15s were scrambled out of their base at Portland International Airport to intercept the plane. What happened from then, left a. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Siddiq Saunderson Moved to L.A. and Immediately Bought a Prius, Millennials and Zillennials Can't Get Enough of Manual Transmissions, Dollar Flight Club Premium Plus (Lifetime Subscription), Tesla Investor Day 2023 Was Pretty Great if You Ignored Elon. Witnesses described the surreal scene after the plane left the airport. How was a man able to steal and pilot a plane? It did not elaborate. One sketch that he posted included a drawing of a Q400 plane, the same kind of plane involved in Friday's crash. Because there were no passengers or crew aboard the plane, it wasnt considered a hijacking, and authorities response to the event seems to indicate that nobody ever expected an airport employee to hop in a plane and go for a ride with no apparent intent to terrorize, kill, or even make a greater statement. "The FBI is going to be thorough, which means taking the time needed to scour the area, delve into the background of the individual believed responsible for Friday night's incident, and review every aspect with all appropriate public and private partners," the FBI's Seattle office tweeted Saturday afternoon. Foote served four and a half months in the brig and later went on to become a test pilot in civilian life. The cause of the crash wasn't immediately known, but the F-15s did not bring the plane down, Eckrote said. I feel really bad for Richard and for his family. The black boxes are now being sent to the National Transportation Safety Board for processing. ", Russell posted collages of photos from his trips around the world, writing that travel was "what keeps me going in the most unfavorable circumstances.". In a final video project set to cheery music, Russell included selfies from airport grounds and photos from his many trips. "He might have been talking to himself in the cockpit," so the voice recorder may provide additional information that wasn't recorded in radio traffic, she said. "I lift a lot of bags. After the plane approached Ketron Island, Waldron saw a thick column of smoke followed by a loud explosion, he said. "We heard the jet because our windows were down while we were waiting in the ferry line to go to Anderson Island, which is adjacent to Ketron Island.". A Russian Air Force engineer made off with an Antonov An-26 transport plane from Kubinka Air Force Base near Moscow. Cooper? On his Facebook page, which had limited public access, he said he was from Wasilla, Alaska; lived in Sumner, Washington; and was married in 2012. Now, nearly four years after the event, authorities have released new video footage showing how 28-year-old Russell who went by the nickname "Beebo" got through. His responsibilities included towing and pushing aircraft for takeoff and gate approach, de-icing them, and handling baggage. Mr Russell's aerial joyride ultimately ended in a fiery crash on a remote island in Puget Sound. His family says it's clear he didn't mean to harm anyone. I mean, I would hope it is, for a guy like me. That includes both domestic and international flights. He's worked at Horizon longer than I did, and he still wasn't making $15 an hour, Reeves said. May 25, 2003. 2. Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess. Jason Silverstein contributed to this report. So many bags," he said. New video shows crash site of stolen plane 02:22 CNN Richard Russell was a funny, gentle and hardworking man, said family and a colleague of the airline employee who stole a passenger. About to take off. He was killed in the crash. The whole saga took place late on a Friday night in the west-coast time zone; by Monday morning, the constant news churn of the middle years of the Trump presidency seemed to have pushed any follow-up coverage of the Horizon Air crash out of the headlines. "We are devastated by these events, and Jesus is truly the only one holding this family together right now. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. "He was getting really stressed about the financial situation he was in. Worker who stole plane and crashed identified, See stolen plane flying moments before crash, Co-worker of man who stole plane speaks out, Official: Man taxied plane before stealing it, Airline worker's family releases statement, Airline issues statement after Seattle crash, Witness: Thought Air Force was practicing for show. He had no purpose to be at that plane Friday evening "other than what he did do," Tilden said. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Weve got the Weekend Ticket Takeover! "He was a quiet guy," Rick Christenson, an operational supervisor with the airline who retired in Maytold The Seattle Times. 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. He said he wanted to create projects showing the contrast between his hard work on the ground and his high-flying free time traveling the globe. "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.". It wasn't immediately clear what training, if any, Russell had in flying planes. He said flying was a "blast" and that he didn't need much help: "I've played some video games before.". He eventually climbs inside the cockpit and fires up the engine. Earlier in the flight, Russell says: "This is probably, like, jail time for life, huh? The plane eventually crashed on sparsely populated Ketron Island, starting a fire in the woods but injuring no one outside the plane. You know?". July 4, 1986. Never really knew it until now.". 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. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Each Thursday Ticket Takeover we giveaway prizes all day for different concerts, events, and more! While in the air, Meyer, whod been married eight weeks before, called his wife and said, Guess what? But could you start a left-hand turn, please?". Human remains were found in wake of Friday's tragic plane crash. "Tower, you need to call and scramble now," one Alaska Air pilot called out. "Russell was known as a quiet guy who read a lot," according to one witness statement. "Yeah, he knew how to fly," she continued. In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt. Copyright 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. While investigators concluded Russell intentionally crash the plane, his motive still remains a mystery. 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. President Donald Trump was briefed on the incident and is monitoring the situation, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Saturday morning. He was immediately killed. "It seemed like he was well liked by the other workers. Now, nearly four years after the event, authorities have released new video footage showing how 28-year-old Russell who went by the nickname Beebo got through the airport and into the 76-seat plane that he flew to his death. "There is a protocol to not allow anyone singularly to get onboard an aircraft," Soucie said. 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.