All Rights Reserved. video Plane crashes near Seattle airport. But could you start a left-hand turn, please?". We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Even with this new footage at hand, its hard to figure out what made Russell embark on this brazen, fatal adventure. On board was 29-year-old Richard Russell, a baggage handler for Horizon Air who is also flying the plane for unknown reason. 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. 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. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. May 25, 2003. Investigators on Saturday were trying to retrieve the plane's flight data recorder and its cockpit voice recorder. ", "I've got a lot of people that care about me," the man later 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. They pursued the aircraft before it went down on Ketron Island, between Tacoma and Olympia. He flew until the plane ran out of fuel and died in the ensuing crash. "It's going to disappoint them to hear that I did thisJust a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess.". Win Your Trip to Our 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards! Discovery Company. The FBI also said it found human remains among the wreckage. 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 U.S. National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) is online 24/7 to help you in a time of depression or desperation. The plane had been parked in a maintenance area and was not scheduled for a passenger flight, Tilden said. SeaTac's tower began asking who was piloting the airplane, which culminated in the first of Mr Russell's exchanges with control that day. 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. Meyer had recently been passed over for promotion and had been arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct. It's gonna be crazy," Mr Russel said. 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. The incident, which the FBI's Seattle office did not consider terrorism, raises questions about airport security. The Q400 is a turboprop aircraft with 76 seats. New surveillance. 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. Music from Green Day, Michael Jackson, Queen, Billy Joel, Tom Petty, Madonna, Pearl Jam, Fleetwood Mac, and more! The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Port of Seattle just released the CCTV footage of 29-year-old Richard Russell towing the Alaska Airlines' Q400 Turboprop into position back in 2018 at the Seattle-Tacoma International. 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. What happened from then, left a. 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 . This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Hell of a crime spree for a 19 year old. Russell took the Q400 from a cargo area at the north end of Sea-Tac Airport on August 10. As he flew the stolen 76-seat passenger plane above the Seattle area for nearly an hour on Friday night, Richard B. Russell was asked by an air . An FBI investigation found Alaska Airlines ramp employee Richard Russell intentionally crashed the aircraft after flying for more than an hour. The agency says the 28-year-old's loved ones hosted an intervention for him, who "seemed fine" besides increased drinking. New video shows the crash site and blogging made by Richard Russell, the airline worker who stole and crashed a plane from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. 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. Russell's family said in a statement that they were stunned and heartbroken. A Warner Bros. and last updated 2018-08-12 08:56:01-04. Witnesses described the surreal scene after the plane left the airport. "Oh man. Lee Callahan in the morning, and the No Repeat Workday while you work! Russell flew the plane for over an hour before crashing. Its not yet known exactly what pre-existing psychological conditions Russell may have had, but in the course of his conversation with air traffic controllers he expresses racial resentment. Russell echoed those claims in his last conversation with air traffic control. He first can be seen wandering through security, and is spotted again later on the tarmac. KINGs Madison Wade reports. Subscribe to NBC News: http://nbcnews.to/SubscribeToNBC Watch more NBC video: http://bit.ly/MoreNBCNewsNBC News Digital is a collection of innovative and powerful news brands that deliver compelling, diverse and engaging news stories. But the friendly tone of a 29-year-old airport worker who stole a commercial plane Friday night, performing acrobatic stunts before a fatal plunge into a thick island forest, belied his desperate actions. An hour and 45 minutes into the flight, Meyer crashed into the English Channel. "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.". August 11, 2018 / 11:29 PM By Jeff Wise Published: Aug 13, 2018 JASON REDMOND // Getty Images Maybe that will grease some gears with the higher up, Russell said to air traffic controllers. 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. In a statement, the family says Richard Russell, whose nickname was "Beebo," was warm, kind and gentle. 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. 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. 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? On Friday, Horizon Air ground service agent .css-3wjtm9{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.125rem;text-decoration-color:#1c6a65;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-3wjtm9:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Richard B. Russell got in one of the airlines Bombardier Q400 aircraft and took off from Seattles SeaTac Airport. 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. He was in the air for about an hour. His family says it's clear he didn't mean to harm anyone. Russell, a 3-1/2-year Horizon employee, worked as a ground service agent. Jeff Wise is a New York-based science journalist specializing in aviation and psychology. 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. 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. He left prison after less than 5 years, on parole. "You think if I land this successfully, Alaska will give me a job as a pilot?" Plus we let you know whats going on locally with Lee Callahans Jacktivities! Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. Foote served four and a half months in the brig and later went on to become a test pilot in civilian life. I feel really bad for Richard and for his family. Richard Russell died in Friday's plane crash. Im coming home! But it was not to be. 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. "But the air traffic controller had to tell him how to set what they call the 'bugs' -- they're just little, sort of, little levers, or little notches on your indicator for your heading, which is kind of basic. But the plane made turns and aerobatic maneuvers that suggest some skill, she said. An FBI investigation found Alaska Airlines ramp employee Richard Russell intentionally crashed the aircraft after flying for more than an hour. "It seemed like he was well liked by the other workers. 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. He complimented the controller: "You are very calm, collect, poised," he said. Onlooker John Waldron took video that shows the plane rolling inverted at low altitude, then pulling into a half-loop in a aerobatic high-g maneuver called a split S. Whether through skill or luck, Russell managed to pull the plane out of its rapid descent just above the wave tops. "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. The worker performed several aerial stunts in the stolen aircraft before ultimately crashing on Ketron Island. For one, Russell shouldn't have been able to board the plane alone, he said. Without communicating to air traffic controllers, he cut off another airplane and then managed to get the plane onto the runway and airborne. Join the Celebration of a Lifetime! "I would like to apologize to each and every one of them. Now let's land that airplane safely and don't hurt anybody on the ground," the helping pilot radios. It evens out in the end.". 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. Authorities sent fighter jets to escort him, and the controller repeatedly tried to direct him to runways. It was empty, parked at a Seattle-Tacoma International Airport cargo and . 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. Russell was recorded having multiple conversations with air traffic controllers who were trying to talk him into landing. 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. Ah, dammit. 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. Minimum wage, we'll chalk it up to that. 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. Like a lot of bags. Domestic Flights, Airplane Door Rips Open Midflight on Russian Plane, Airport Worker Ingested Into Jet Engine, Dies, The Concorde Disaster, Battle Tanks, and More. "Russell was known as a quiet guy who read a lot," according to one witness statement. 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. . "He was getting really stressed about the financial situation he was in. "The greatest threat we have to aviation is the insider threat," said Erroll Southers, a former FBI agent and transportation security expert. Like a lot of bags. 2023 Cable News Network. President Donald Trump was briefed on the incident and is monitoring the situation, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Saturday morning. Also see | Cockpit audio from worker who stole empty plane from Sea-Tac Airport. Air traffic control became suspicious of Mr Russell after he cut in the line for takeoff. 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. Alaska Airlines flight 261 took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on the morning of August 10, 2018. 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? . In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt that says "The Sky's No Limit." Neither the men nor the plane has ever been seen again. Did you encounter any technical issues? Airline officials believe he was in uniform and worked a shift Friday, Tilden said. Please enter valid email address to continue. He said flying was a "blast" and that he didn't need much help: "I've played some video games before.". Richard B. Russell reportedly stole a Horizon Air plane for a joyride before crashing and killing himself near Seattle. The man could be heard on audio recordings telling air traffic controllers that he is "just a broken guy." "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.". "Nah, I mean, I don't need that much help. 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. Weve got the Weekend Ticket Takeover! 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. 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 death. The black boxes are now being sent to the National Transportation Safety Board for processing. F-15 fighter jets scrambled to intercept the Q400, which ultimately crashed into Ketron Island, about 30 miles from the airport. "I think I'm going to try to do a barrel roll, and if that goes good I'll go nose down and call it a night," Richard Russell said from the cockpit, according to a recording of his conversation with the controller. 2023 Cox Media Group. "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. strangest, scariest, most bizarre events of 2018. 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. 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. While searching the crash site, investigators also located human remains among the aircraft materials. 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. Colton Harris Moore only got 6 years for stealing a plane and crashing it. One sketch that he posted included a drawing of a Q400 plane, the same kind of plane involved in Friday's crash. 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. 7 months ago. Authorities said Russell did not have a pilot's license. So many bags," he said. Aug. 12, 2018. The fuselage was fragmented and appeared to be upside down, said Debra Eckrote, regional chief for the National Transportation Safety Board. "I lift a lot of bags. "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. While investigators concluded Russell intentionally crash the plane, his motive still remains a mystery. 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. How was a man able to steal and pilot a plane? NTSB to investigate in-flight turbulence that left 1 passenger dead, Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, stole an airplane from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Investigators work to determine how a man was able to pilot a stolen plane. F-15s were scrambled out of their base at Portland International Airport to intercept the plane. 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. I don't want to. In the days leading up to the theft and subsequent crash, employees and family didn't notice anything wrong with him, investigators wrote in the updated report. 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. August 13, 2018 / 5:34 AM New footage released by the Port of Seattle shows Mr Russell who worked as a baggage handler at the airport preparing the plane for takeoff. 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. He is the author of The Plane That Wasn't There: Why We Haven't Found MH370. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. July 13, 1994. 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. It was a strange day when Horizon Airlines Employee Richard "Beebo" Russell stole a plane in the middle of his working shift. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. among other things. "He was a quiet guy," Rick Christenson, an operational supervisor with the airline who retired in Maytold The Seattle Times. ", The statement said Russell, 29, was "a faithful husband, a loving son and a good friend. After Russell talked periodically with air traffic controllers for about an hour, the plane crashed at Ketron Island,officials said. Moore stole (or stole and crashed) multiple airplanes, multiple boats, dozens of cars, etc. 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 . They say says this is a complete shock. The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office has confirmed the remains belong to Richard Russell, who took the empty Horizon Air turboprop plane from Sea-Tac Airport. August 22, 1979. Despite the timing of the crash during prime fire season, the fires in the video seemed to be small and scattered. The black boxes will hopefully give investigators more clues as they try to figure out why Russell flew the plane into the ground. 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.
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