", "Well," a controller responds, "we're not going to worry or think about that. New surveillance. "Although investigators received information regarding Russells background, possible stressors, and personal life, no element provided a clear motivation for Russells actions.". KIRO 7 spoke with Russells friend and former co-worker Robert Reeves who said Russell was a hard worker who loved aviation, but he admits Russell was unhappy with his pay. F-15 fighter jets scrambled to intercept the Q400, which ultimately crashed into Ketron Island, about 30 miles from the airport. Data from the flight data recorder showed there was a significant sideslip on the airplane during the last minute of the flight, but the airplane appeared to stay in control, according to the FBI report. 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. 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. "The greatest threat we have to aviation is the insider threat," said Erroll Southers, a former FBI agent and transportation security expert. SeaTac's tower began asking who was piloting the airplane, which culminated in the first of Mr Russell's exchanges with control that day. A Warner Bros. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Ultimately the FBI determined that Mr Russell intentionally brought the airplane into a dive onto a small island in Puget Sound, where he died. 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 worker performed several aerial stunts in the stolen aircraft before ultimately crashing on Ketron Island. Horizon airline employee, 28-year-old Richard 'Bebo' Russell, stole a plane and took off before crashing into remote Pierce County island In a statement, the family says Richard Russell, whose nickname was "Beebo," was warm, kind and gentle. Enter for your chance to win a visit to the Disneyland Resort with 96.5 JACK FM! 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. CNN's Kyung Lah reports.. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. That includes both domestic and international flights. 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,. A curious and ultimately tragic story from 2018 finally has a little more context, thanks to security camera footage. Relatives of Richard Russell say they are "stunned and heartbroken" after the airline worker stole a passenger plane Friday from the Seattle-Tacoma . Russell repeatedly says he would do a roll. 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. "Everyone was literally frozen in place, muttering about what possibly happened," he said. Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess. He managed to proceed with his plan unmolested largely because no one thought twice about the baggage handler working in the airport's restricted spaces. The rest of Mr Russell's time in the air was well documented, thanks to his regular contact with SeaTac's tower. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. among other things. While in the air, Meyer, whod been married eight weeks before, called his wife and said, Guess what? 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 FBI will lead the investigation, said Eckrote, the NTSB regional chief. Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. 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. In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt that says "The Sky's No Limit." "I always felt bad for the guys and gals who handled luggage. ", "I've got a lot of people that care about me," the man later said. That includes both domestic and international flights. video Plane crashes near Seattle airport. Foote was an experienced glider pilot and had undergone 100 hours of simulator flying in the Skyhawk and had hoped to become a military pilot before his ambitions were derailed by health issues. "Never really knew it till now," he said. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Tragic as Russell's death was, he could have inflicted vastly more damage had he been so inclined. Russell had no piloting experience, but he managed . 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. 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. Minimum wage, we'll chalk it up to that. 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. He's worked at Horizon longer than I did, and he still wasn't making $15 an hour, Reeves said. "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. F-15 "pilots kept plane out of harms way and people on ground safe," the sheriff's office tweeted. The plane was a Bombardier Q400, a turboprop that seats 76 people, owned by Horizon Air, part of Alaska Airlines. How was a man able to steal and pilot a plane? Richard Russell, 29, can be seen at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport driving a pushback tractor with an Alaska Air turboprop attached. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his travels. The incident is bizarre and tragic, but it is not unprecedented. ", "I've got a lot of people that care about me, and it's going to disappoint them to hear that I did this," Russell says. ", 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. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 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 black boxes will hopefully give investigators more clues as they try to figure out why Russell flew the plane into the ground. 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. Having to rely on the ferry system for transport, the first 40 responding firefighters stayed at the scene throughout the night. Now let's land that airplane safely and don't hurt anybody on the ground," the helping pilot radios. 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? 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. "Oh man. "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. "There is a protocol to not allow anyone singularly to get onboard an aircraft," Soucie said. You did that. Neither the men nor the plane has ever been seen again. Earlier in the flight, Russell says: "This is probably, like, jail time for life, huh? August 13, 2018 / 5:34 AM 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. Authorities sent fighter jets to escort him, and the controller repeatedly tried to direct him to runways. 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. What happened from then, left a. "I would like to apologize to each and every one of them. I don't want to. 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. The man has been identified as Richard Russell, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation confirmed to CNN on Saturday night. 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. Authorities said Russell did not have a pilot's license. . FBI released more information about Russell and the incident earlier this year, including witness statements from family, friends, and co-workers. 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. Airports nationwide will now look at whether their security procedures need to change, CNN safety analyst David Soucie said. The agency said that, had Mr Russell wanted, he could have recovered from the dive. 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. "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. Russell was credentialed to be in secure areas at the airport, said Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Air Group, which owns Horizon Air. Moore stole (or stole and crashed) multiple airplanes, multiple boats, dozens of cars, etc. I don't know! Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much August 11, 2018 / 11:29 PM In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt. 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. Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. 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. "I lift a lot of bags. Padilla and an a recently hired assistant boarded the plane, taxied it to the runway, took off, and head out over the Atlantic Ocean. Russell, 29 is presumed dead. "Most importantly," he said in a voiceover about his job, "I get to visit those I love most. Without communicating to air traffic controllers, he cut off another airplane and then managed to get the plane onto the runway and airborne. 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. 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. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? 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. He was killed in the crash. Video from Friday showed the Horizon Air Q400 doing large loops and other dangerous maneuvers as the sun set on the Puget Sound. One sketch that he posted included a drawing of a Q400 plane, the same kind of plane involved in Friday's crash. 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. Jeff Wise is a New York-based science journalist specializing in aviation and psychology. ", First published on August 13, 2018 / 5:34 AM. Playing What We Want In Seattle! Also see | 'I was blown away': Stepbrother of man who stole plane speaks out. They say says this is a complete shock. So many bags," he said. 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 . He flew until the plane ran out of fuel and died in the ensuing crash. It did not elaborate. He is the author of The Plane That Wasn't There: Why We Haven't Found MH370. "He was a quiet guy," Rick Christenson, an operational supervisor with the airline who retired in Maytold The Seattle Times. The man has been identified as Richard Russell, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation confirmed to CNN on Saturday night. An FBI investigation found Alaska Airlines ramp employee Richard Russell intentionally crashed the aircraft after flying for more than an hour. I feel really bad for Richard and for his family. "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 sky thief Richard Russell captivated the audience's attention after the Authorities at the Port of Seattle released an airport surveillance video of plane stealing. "Nah, I mean, I don't need that much help. "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. It was empty, parked at a Seattle-Tacoma International Airport cargo and . After proceeding through the pre-flight checklist and moving the pushback tractor, Mr Russell began rolling the plane toward a runway. Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. "Congratulations. Im coming home! But it was not to be. "Russell was known as a quiet guy who read a lot," according to one witness statement. They said it's clear Russell didn't intend to harm anyone, and "he was right in saying that there are so many people who loved him. "This is a complete shock to us," the family said in a statement Saturday night. 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.". The agency says the 28-year-old's loved ones hosted an intervention for him, who "seemed fine" besides increased drinking. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. I've played some video games before, he said. What was the richard russell plane crash story all about. 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. Jason Silverstein contributed to this report. 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 . 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. All Rights Reserved. After Russell talked periodically with air traffic controllers for about an hour, the plane crashed at Ketron Island,officials said. Worlds Largest Passenger Aircraft Will Fly Again, Russia May Use Military Aircraft for Civilians, A Livestream of Planes Trying to Land at Heathrow, Why a New 5G Rollout Is Making Airlines Nervous, The Complicated History of the Very First Flight, The VTOL Future of Flight That Never Took Off. John Waldron was walking along a trail near the bay when he noticed the two military jets following a plane doing aerobatics. 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. 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. 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. "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.". The plane was a Bombardier Q400, a turboprop that seats 76 people, owned by Horizon Air, part of Alaska Airlines. Did you encounter any technical issues? You know?". Russell, who was a ground services employee for Horizon Air, sat in the plane's cockpit for nearly an hour and a half before the unauthorized takeoff. 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. His responsibilities included towing and pushing aircraft for takeoff and gate approach, de-icing them, and handling baggage. 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. By Louis Lucero II and Melissa Gomez. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 2023 Cable News Network. "We are devastated by these events, and Jesus is truly the only one holding this family together right now. Witnesses described the surreal scene after the plane left the airport. 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. "It's going to disappoint them to hear that I did thisJust a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess.". 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. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. The black boxes are now being sent to the National Transportation Safety Board for processing. After the plane approached Ketron Island, Waldron saw a thick column of smoke followed by a loud explosion, he said. The footage shows him going through security wearing a T-shirt. Copyright 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. Later that day he stole an Alaska Air turboprop aircraft and crashed it into a remote island in Puget Sound. July 13, 1994. 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. Scroll down to continue . The NTSB is now processing the equipment. Find flight for cheapWith its premium plus plan, youll be able to browse flight deals going for up to 90% off in business, premium economy, and economy class. "You think if I land this successfully, Alaska will give me a job as a pilot?" We may earn a commission from links on this page. The incident, which the FBI's Seattle office did not consider terrorism, raises questions about airport security. While searching the crash site, investigators also located human remains among the aircraft materials. appreciated. 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. The FBI has recovered the flight data recorder and components of the cockpit voice recorder from the Horizon aircraft that crashed onto Ketron Island Friday night. On board was 29-year-old Richard Russell, a baggage handler for Horizon Air who is also flying the plane for unknown reason. 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 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. "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. He was immediately killed. I hope they can make it through this.". Cooper? That's just not safe.". Lee Callahan in the morning, and the No Repeat Workday while you work! 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. He first can be seen wandering through security, and is spotted again later on the tarmac. His family says it's clear he didn't mean to harm anyone. 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. 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