Nah, Im a white guy.. Airline officials believe he was in uniform and worked a shift Friday, Tilden said. I've played some video games before, he said. After the plane approached Ketron Island, Waldron saw a thick column of smoke followed by a loud explosion, he said. Never really knew it until now.". Newly released video shows the fiery scene firefighters encountered after an airplane stolen from Sea-Tac Airport crashed on Ketron Island. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. I don't know! 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. I don't know, man! Russell had no piloting experience, but he managed . Richard Russell died in Friday's plane crash. They pursued the aircraft before it went down on Ketron Island, between Tacoma and Olympia. 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. He did not survive the crash. The incident is bizarre and tragic, but it is not unprecedented. "Russell had a few unexcused absences, but nothing considered significant.". 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. That's just not safe.". He first can be seen wandering through security, and is spotted again later on the tarmac. All Rights Reserved. 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. You know?". The FBI will lead the investigation, said Eckrote, the NTSB regional chief. After Russell talked periodically with air traffic controllers for about an hour, the plane crashed at Ketron Island,officials said. The NTSB is now processing the equipment. Other pilots and SeaTac's tower exchange information about Mr Russell as they quickly realise that something unusual is going on. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Discovery Company. The jets were not involved in the crash, it said. Relatives of Richard Russell say they are "stunned and heartbroken" after the airline worker stole a passenger plane Friday from the Seattle-Tacoma . The plane eventually crashed on sparsely populated Ketron Island, starting a fire in the woods but injuring no one outside the plane. Russell responds: "Awwww-right. Despite the timing of the crash during prime fire season, the fires in the video seemed to be small and scattered. 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. He flew until the plane ran out of fuel and died in the ensuing crash. 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. 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. August 11, 2018 / 11:29 PM Richard Russell, 29, can be seen at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport driving a pushback tractor with an Alaska Air turboprop attached. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Enter for your chance to win a visit to the Disneyland Resort with 96.5 JACK FM! 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 F-15 "pilots kept plane out of harms way and people on ground safe," the sheriff's office tweeted. "The greatest threat we have to aviation is the insider threat," said Erroll Southers, a former FBI agent and transportation security expert. 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. Please dont hesitate to utilize this resource. Maybe that will grease some gears with the higher up, Russell said to air traffic controllers. In a final video project set to cheery music, Russell included selfies from airport . After Russell performed an unauthorized takeoff, two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighters were scrambled to intercept the aircraft.

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.

. The plane was a Bombardier Q400, a turboprop that seats 76 people, owned by Horizon Air, part of Alaska Airlines. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his travels. Like a lot of bags. 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. SEATTLE -- He cracked jokes, complimented the professional demeanor of an air traffic controller and apologized for making a fuss. video Plane crashes near Seattle airport. He said flying was a "blast" and that he didn't need much help: "I've played some video games before.". Meyer had recently been passed over for promotion and had been arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct. 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. F-15s were scrambled out of their base at Portland International Airport to intercept the plane. CNN's Kyung Lah reports.. Also see | Stolen plane narrowly missed family inside Ketron Island cabin. 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. Human remains were found in wake of Friday's tragic plane crash. Besides his other duties, he was qualified to tow aircraft, said Gary Beck, Horizon Air's president and chief executive officer. Im coming home! But it was not to be. Please enter valid email address to continue. Russell took the Q400 from a cargo area at the north end of Sea-Tac Airport on August 10. Cooper? 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. 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 tower alerted the Portland Air National Guard base, which dispatched a group of US Air Force F-15s to intercept the rouge aircraft. July 13, 1994. 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. 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. Send us an email at investigate@kiro7.com, Multiple western Washington residents indicted in connection to coast-to-coast drug ring, Bank accidentally left unlocked in Fresno, police say, Powerball jackpot winner identified as longtime Boeing employee, Officials: Mother identified as shooter in murder-suicide in Ohio, Court finds Federal Way gun store in contempt of court. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. appreciated. He later stole the plane and eventually crashed it into an island in Puget Sound. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. 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. It evens out in the end.". He was immediately killed. May 25, 2003. 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. Mr Russell's aerial joyride ultimately ended in a fiery crash on a remote island in Puget Sound. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 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. A curious and ultimately tragic story from 2018 finally has a little more context, thanks to security camera footage. 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. 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. 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. 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. Music from Green Day, Michael Jackson, Queen, Billy Joel, Tom Petty, Madonna, Pearl Jam, Fleetwood Mac, and more! 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. 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. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his various travels. Join the Celebration of a Lifetime! You did that. "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. 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. First published on August 11, 2018 / 4:48 PM. 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. 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. But the plane made turns and aerobatic maneuvers that suggest some skill, she said. He also told the controller he "wasn't really planning on landing" the aircraft, and he described himself as "just a broken guy.". August 22, 1979. The Q400 is a turboprop aircraft with 76 seats. 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. On board was 29-year-old Richard Russell, a baggage handler for Horizon Air who is also flying the plane for unknown reason. The man could be heard on audio recordings telling air traffic controllers that he is "just a broken guy." Scroll down to continue . 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. President Donald Trump was briefed on the incident and is monitoring the situation, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Saturday morning. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. There were no passengers aboard. 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. For one, Russell shouldn't have been able to board the plane alone, he said. Video from Friday showed the Horizon Air Q400 doing large loops and other dangerous maneuvers as the sun set on the Puget Sound. 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. 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,. The King County medical examiner ruled his death a suicide. His responsibilities included towing and pushing aircraft for takeoff and gate approach, de-icing them, and handling baggage. video Plane crashes near Seattle airport. 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. It did not elaborate. During an exchange with air traffic controllers, Russell mentioned he had some experience using flight simulator software. Authorities said Russell did not have a pilot's license. At one point, he apologizes and says he is a "broken guy" with "a few screws loose. 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, 29 is presumed dead. 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. 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. Russell went by "Beebo" on social media. 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. Photos show first responders that night sleeping outside on the ground. Later, a controller discusses getting a pilot on the radio to help Russell control the aircraft. Officials don't believe Russell had a pilot's license, and they don't know how he knew to fly the plane. 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. While investigators concluded Russell intentionally crash the plane, his motive still remains a mystery. He had no purpose to be at that plane Friday evening "other than what he did do," Tilden said. .css-v1xtj3{display:block;font-family:FreightSansW01,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:100;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-v1xtj3:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-v1xtj3{font-size:1.1387rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-v1xtj3{line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-v1xtj3{font-size:1.18581rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.5rem;margin-top:0rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-v1xtj3{font-size:1.23488rem;line-height:1.2;margin-top:0.9375rem;}}A 777 Nearly Plunged Into the Ocean After Takeoff, Sudden FAA Failure Grounds U.S. Ultimately the FBI determined that Mr Russell intentionally brought the airplane into a dive onto a small island in Puget Sound, where he died. No one noticed the plane had disappeared until Mr Russell was in the air. FBI released more information about Russell and the incident earlier this year, including witness statements from family, friends, and co-workers. Did you encounter any technical issues? He eventually climbs inside the cockpit and fires up the engine. The agency said that, had Mr Russell wanted, he could have recovered from the dive. 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. The incident came about when a 29-year-old man stole an aircraft from Seattle-Tacoma International airport in August 2018.

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