He did not survive the crash. It's unclear exactly what Mr Russell is doing during this time, but he eventually takes control of a pushback tug and readies the Alaska Air plane for takeoff. 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 jets were not involved in the crash, it said. Please enter valid email address to continue. Padilla and an a recently hired assistant boarded the plane, taxied it to the runway, took off, and head out over the Atlantic Ocean. 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. 2023 Cox Media Group. 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. 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. Enter for your chance to win a visit to the Disneyland Resort with 96.5 JACK FM! New video shows crash site of stolen plane. Later, a controller discusses getting a pilot on the radio to help Russell control the aircraft. After proceeding through the pre-flight checklist and moving the pushback tractor, Mr Russell began rolling the plane toward a runway. "I lift a lot of bags. The body camera and cell phone video shows firefighters climbing through dense brush and fallen trees to get to the crash site on Ketron Island. All rights reserved. ", "Well," a controller responds, "we're not going to worry or think about that. An hour and 45 minutes into the flight, Meyer crashed into the English Channel. Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. Im coming home! But it was not to be. 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. Mr Russell's aerial joyride ultimately ended in a fiery crash on a remote island in Puget Sound. 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. "There is a protocol to not allow anyone singularly to get onboard an aircraft," Soucie said. Weve got the Weekend Ticket Takeover! 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. 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. F-15s were scrambled out of their base at Portland International Airport to intercept the plane. There were no passengers aboard. A 777 Nearly Plunged Into the Ocean After Takeoff, In audio recordings released over the internet, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Russell responds: "Awwww-right. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. I hope they can make it through this.". "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. 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. "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.". You did that. During an exchange with air traffic controllers, Russell mentioned he had some experience using flight simulator software. "Congratulations. When Rolling Stone published its article last year, no major regulatory or security changes had been implemented in response to Russells deadly flight. 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. 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. After Russell talked periodically with air traffic controllers for about an hour, the plane crashed at Ketron Island,officials said. Like a lot of bags. Russell flew the plane for over an hour before crashing. Marine Corps lance corporal Howard A. Foote, Jr. stole an A-4M Skyhawk ground attack jet from Marine Corps Air Station El Toro and took it on a 45-minute aerobatic joyride before returning to base and landing safely. He first can be seen wandering through security, and is spotted again later on the tarmac. Jeff Wise is a New York-based science journalist specializing in aviation and psychology. 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. 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. Cooper? "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. After the plane approached Ketron Island, Waldron saw a thick column of smoke followed by a loud explosion, he said. [deleted] 5 yr. ago. They say says this is a complete shock. video Plane crashes near Seattle airport. 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. Airports nationwide will now look at whether their security procedures need to change, CNN safety analyst David Soucie said. If you miss out on Thursday, no worries! Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. The worker performed several aerial stunts in the stolen aircraft before ultimately crashing on Ketron Island. 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. Also see | Stolen plane narrowly missed family inside Ketron Island cabin. 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. Win Your Trip to Our 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards! His family says it's clear he didn't mean to harm anyone. 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. He complimented the controller: "You are very calm, collect, poised," he said. 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.
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.
. It did not elaborate. 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. What was the richard russell plane crash story all about. 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 his Facebook page, which had limited public access, he said he was from Wasilla, Alaska; lived in Sumner, Washington; and was married in 2012. I don't know, man! ", "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. ", First published on August 13, 2018 / 5:34 AM. 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. 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. May 25, 2003. "I thought they were practicing for an air show," he said. "So, (he) had some knowledge but clearly wasn't a commercial pilot.". This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. The FBI will lead the investigation, said Eckrote, the NTSB regional chief. Plus we let you know whats going on locally with Lee Callahans Jacktivities! How was a man able to steal and pilot a plane? Jason Silverstein contributed to this report. He left prison after less than 5 years, on parole. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Other pilots and SeaTac's tower exchange information about Mr Russell as they quickly realise that something unusual is going on. 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. Officials don't believe Russell had a pilot's license, and they don't know how he knew to fly the plane. I feel really bad for Richard and for his family. The plane didn't require a key, but it did require buttons and switches to be activated in a particular order. Did you encounter any technical issues? video Plane crashes near Seattle airport. 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. Neither the men nor the plane has ever been seen again. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? 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. 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. 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. 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. The incident came about when a 29-year-old man stole an aircraft from Seattle-Tacoma International airport in August 2018. "Oh man. "He was a quiet guy," Rick Christenson, an operational supervisor with the airline who retired in Maytold The Seattle Times. 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. The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. Even with this new footage at hand, its hard to figure out what made Russell embark on this brazen, fatal adventure. "We are devastated by these events, and Jesus is truly the only one holding this family together right now. 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. 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. 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. One sketch that he posted included a drawing of a Q400 plane, the same kind of plane involved in Friday's crash. Besides his other duties, he was qualified to tow aircraft, said Gary Beck, Horizon Air's president and chief executive officer. I was kinda hoping that was going to be it. Minimum wage, we'll chalk it up to that. Join the Celebration of a Lifetime! Russell took the Q400 from a cargo area at the north end of Sea-Tac Airport on August 10. "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.". The sheriff's department described Russell as suicidal. 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. 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. The agency said that, had Mr Russell wanted, he could have recovered from the dive. Colton Harris Moore only got 6 years for stealing a plane and crashing it. 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,. But the plane slammed into tiny Ketron Island, a sparsely populated island southwest of Tacoma. 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. "Tower, you need to call and scramble now," one Alaska Air pilot called out. 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. (AFP/Getty Images) Russell, 29, flew the plane for 75 . 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. 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 . 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. In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt. Each Thursday Ticket Takeover we giveaway prizes all day for different concerts, events, and more! "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. Russell, 29 is presumed dead. ", 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. May 23, 1969. 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. He later stole the plane and eventually crashed it into an island in Puget Sound. The footage shows him going through security wearing a T-shirt. F-15 "pilots kept plane out of harms way and people on ground safe," the sheriff's office tweeted. Win Tickets to Weezer with Spoon and White Reaper at White River Amphitheater on August 20th! CNN's Kyung Lah reports.. he joked. "I lift a lot of bags. For one, Russell shouldn't have been able to board the plane alone, he said. Amazingly, despite the unprecedented nature of this deadly feat, and the fact that it could have easily become a mass casualty event, Russells flight and fatal crash seemed to hardly make a splash in the national news. The FBI also said it found human remains among the wreckage. New surveillance. 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. "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. 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! 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. I've played some video games before," Russell responds. 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. 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 he crashed 25 miles away. 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. He was immediately killed. We deliver the best in breaking news, live video coverage, original journalism and segments from your favorite NBC News Shows.Connect with NBC News Online!NBC News App: https://smart.link/5d0cd9df61b80Breaking News Alerts: https://link.nbcnews.com/join/5cj/breaking-news-signup?cid=sm_npd_nn_yt_bn-clip_190621Visit NBCNews.Com: http://nbcnews.to/ReadNBCFind NBC News on Facebook: http://nbcnews.to/LikeNBCFollow NBC News on Twitter: http://nbcnews.to/FollowNBC#Surveillance #Horizonair #hijacking He's worked at Horizon longer than I did, and he still wasn't making $15 an hour, Reeves said. 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. The man has been identified as Richard Russell, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation confirmed to CNN on Saturday night. Mr Russell's aerial joyride ultimately ended in a fiery crash on a remote island in Puget Sound. The man could be heard on audio recordings telling air traffic controllers that he is "just a broken guy." Not long before the crash, a pilot who'd been helping controllers advise Russell appears to mention the maneuver. The rest of Mr Russell's time in the air was well documented, thanks to his regular contact with SeaTac's tower. In fact, there have been a number of occurrences in recent decades in which ground personnel made off with aircraft. They pursued the aircraft before it went down on Ketron Island, between Tacoma and Olympia. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Authorities said he used a tractor to rotate the plane 180 degrees, positioning it so that he could taxi toward a runway. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. By Jeff Wise Published: Aug 13, 2018 JASON REDMOND // Getty Images 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. 4.3M views 7 months ago A newly released video sheds new light on the moments leading up to Richard Russell crashing a plane. It's gonna be crazy," Mr Russel said. While in the air, Meyer, whod been married eight weeks before, called his wife and said, Guess what? The jets' capability was appropriate to the potential task, one of the sources said, without offering details. 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. I don't need that much help. Also see | Cockpit audio from worker who stole empty plane from Sea-Tac Airport. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. The incident is bizarre and tragic, but it is not unprecedented. 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.". Scroll down to continue . We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The Q400 is a turboprop aircraft with 76 seats. The King County medical examiner ruled his death a suicide. I mean, I would hope it is, for a guy like me. 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, FBI probes how airline employee stole plane, FBI investigating how airline employee stole plane before crashing, New details emerge about employee who stole, crashed airplane, NTSB to investigate in-flight turbulence that left 1 passenger dead, Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, someone can simply take a passenger plane from a major U.S. airport without authorization, push us to learn what we can from this tragedy. Richard B. Russell reportedly stole a Horizon Air plane for a joyride before crashing and killing himself near Seattle. 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