Russell repeatedly says he would do a roll. 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. Richard Russell, 29, walks through employee security screening at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. John Waldron was walking along a trail near the bay when he noticed the two military jets following a plane doing aerobatics. "Never really knew it till now," he said. 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. ", 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. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. It's gonna be crazy," Mr Russel said. 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. After Russell talked periodically with air traffic controllers for about an hour, the plane crashed at Ketron Island,officials said. Richard B. Russell reportedly stole a Horizon Air plane for a joyride before crashing and killing himself near Seattle. While in the air, Meyer, whod been married eight weeks before, called his wife and said, Guess what? The sheriff's department described Russell as suicidal. If you miss out on Thursday, no worries! 2. 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. Later that day he stole an Alaska Air turboprop aircraft and crashed it into a remote island in Puget Sound. video Plane crashes near Seattle airport. The King County medical examiner ruled his death a suicide. A curious and ultimately tragic story from 2018 finally has a little more context, thanks to security camera footage. "Congratulations. The agency says the 28-year-old's loved ones hosted an intervention for him, who "seemed fine" besides increased drinking. Maybe that will grease some gears with the higher up, Russell said to air traffic controllers. The FBI will lead the investigation, said Eckrote, the NTSB regional chief. 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. 2023 Cable News Network. "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. Meyer had recently been passed over for promotion and had been arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct. 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. Music from Green Day, Michael Jackson, Queen, Billy Joel, Tom Petty, Madonna, Pearl Jam, Fleetwood Mac, and more! The man has been identified as Richard Russell, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation confirmed to CNN on Saturday night. What followed was a 73-minute joyride during which Richard Beebo Russell had a surprisingly candid conversation with air-traffic controllers as he pushed the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 twin-engine plane through some daring acrobatic moves. But the plane slammed into tiny Ketron Island, a sparsely populated island southwest of Tacoma. "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. 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. 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. "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. "The greatest threat we have to aviation is the insider threat," said Erroll Southers, a former FBI agent and transportation security expert. Also see | Stolen plane narrowly missed family inside Ketron Island cabin. Russell took the Q400 from a cargo area at the north end of Sea-Tac Airport on August 10. CNN's Kyung Lah reports. Kathleen Reichel said she watched the planes pass by for about two minutes. Copyright 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. May 25, 2003. "So, (he) had some knowledge but clearly wasn't a commercial pilot.". "I always felt bad for the guys and gals who handled luggage. After Russell performed an unauthorized takeoff, two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighters were scrambled to intercept the aircraft. 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 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. 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. Like a lot of bags. 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 Russell, 29, can be seen at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport driving a pushback tractor with an Alaska Air turboprop attached. ", "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. "You think if I land this successfully, Alaska will give me a job as a pilot?" Win Tickets to KISS at Climate Pledge Arena on November 6, 2023. "I lift a lot of bags. he joked. "If you're going to access the aircraft you make sure that you check with someone else, and that someone else (will confirm) that you have the right authority to get onto that aircraft.". Playing What We Want In Seattle! In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his various travels. 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. New video shows crash site of stolen plane. Please dont hesitate to utilize this resource. An air traffic controller called him "Rich," and tried to convince him to land the airplane. 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. 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. One sketch that he posted included a drawing of a Q400 plane, the same kind of plane involved in Friday's crash. The worker performed several aerial stunts in the stolen aircraft before ultimately crashing on Ketron Island. 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. By Louis Lucero II and Melissa Gomez. All Rights Reserved. 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. Enter for your chance to win a visit to the Disneyland Resort with 96.5 JACK FM! 4.3M views 7 months ago A newly released video sheds new light on the moments leading up to Richard Russell crashing a plane. 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. They say says this is a complete shock. 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. He is the author of The Plane That Wasn't There: Why We Haven't Found MH370. About to take off. The tower alerted the Portland Air National Guard base, which dispatched a group of US Air Force F-15s to intercept the rouge aircraft. 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. strangest, scariest, most bizarre events of 2018. July 4, 1986. Aug. 12, 2018. Ah, dammit. A ground service agent's tasks don't involve touching planes' controls, CNN aviation analyst Mary Schiavo said. The fuselage was fragmented and appeared to be upside down, said Debra Eckrote, regional chief for the National Transportation Safety Board. Now let's land that airplane safely and don't hurt anybody on the ground," the helping pilot radios. 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. The plane had been parked in a maintenance area and was not scheduled for a passenger flight, Tilden 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." The Associated Press contributed to this report. His 75-minute flight during the golden twilight took him south and west, toward the Olympic Mountains. He was immediately killed. Russell was credentialed to be in secure areas at the airport, said Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Air Group, which owns Horizon Air. "Although investigators received information regarding Russells background, possible stressors, and personal life, no element provided a clear motivation for Russells actions.". Also see | 'I was blown away': Stepbrother of man who stole plane speaks out. 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. "Tower, you need to call and scramble now," one Alaska Air pilot called out. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. Win Tickets to Weezer with Spoon and White Reaper at White River Amphitheater on August 20th! 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. SeaTac's tower began asking who was piloting the airplane, which culminated in the first of Mr Russell's exchanges with control that day. How was a man able to steal and pilot a plane? The black boxes are now being sent to the National Transportation Safety Board for processing. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much While investigators concluded Russell intentionally crash the plane, his motive still remains a mystery. 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 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.". 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. 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It evens out in the end.". He was in the air for about an hour. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. But the plane made turns and aerobatic maneuvers that suggest some skill, she said. 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. 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. 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. 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. In a final video project set to cheery music, Russell included selfies from airport . Domestic Flights, Airplane Door Rips Open Midflight on Russian Plane, Airport Worker Ingested Into Jet Engine, Dies, The Concorde Disaster, Battle Tanks, and More. So many bags," he said. Newly-released videos from the Port of Seattle show the moments leading up to an airport worker crashing a stolen airplane nearly four years ago. 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. 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. Russell, 29 is presumed dead. Moore stole (or stole and crashed) multiple airplanes, multiple boats, dozens of cars, etc. So many bags," he said. At one point, he apologizes and says he is a "broken guy" with "a few screws loose. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. 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 . 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. / CBS/AP. 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. 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. Relatives of Richard Russell say they are "stunned and heartbroken" after the airline worker stole a passenger plane Friday from the Seattle-Tacoma . It did not elaborate. August 11, 2018 / 11:29 PM 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 . The FBI released the findings of its investigation earlier this week, concluding 28-year-old ramp agent Richard Russell, also known as Bebo, stole the Horizon airplane and intentionally crashed it into the south end of Ketron Island. 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. Witnesses described the surreal scene after the plane left the airport. ", "Well," a controller responds, "we're not going to worry or think about that. He did not survive the crash. "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. 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. First published on August 11, 2018 / 4:48 PM. 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. 2023 Cox Media Group. 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. Please enter valid email address to continue. video Plane crashes near Seattle airport. Not long before the crash, a pilot who'd been helping controllers advise Russell appears to mention the maneuver. 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. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his travels. . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "Everyone was literally frozen in place, muttering about what possibly happened," 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. 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.
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.
. Despite the timing of the crash during prime fire season, the fires in the video seemed to be small and scattered. / CBS/AP. 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. (DAILY NEWS VIDEO) . I don't want to. On board was 29-year-old Richard Russell, a baggage handler for Horizon Air who is also flying the plane for unknown reason. 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. 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. 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. 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. "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. Later, a controller discusses getting a pilot on the radio to help Russell control the aircraft. Alaska Airlines flight 261 took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on the morning of August 10, 2018. Human remains were found in wake of Friday's tragic plane crash. 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. August 22, 1979. 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. The man has been identified as Richard Russell, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation confirmed to CNN on Saturday night. 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. You know?". 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. appreciated. 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. I've played some video games before," Russell responds. 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. He said flying was a "blast" and that he didn't need much help: "I've played some video games before.".Apc Battery Backup Beeping Yellow Light,
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