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. 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. "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.". Neither the men nor the plane has ever been seen again. 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. 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. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ", "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. Richard B. Russell reportedly stole a Horizon Air plane for a joyride before crashing and killing himself near Seattle. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Russell responds: "Awwww-right. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, Ted Cruz calls for Fauci to be prosecuted in CPAC rant on Covid, George Santos under investigation by House Ethics committee, CDC sends warning after babys death linked to contaminated breast pump, Footage shows man stealing plane he crashed into a Washington island, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Up to 20% off & extra perks with Booking.com Genius Membership, $6 off a $50+ order with this AliExpress discount code, 10% off selected orders over 100 - eBay discount code, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK March 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this March, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. 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. Aug. 12, 2018. 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. "I lift a lot of bags. Alaska Airlines flight 261 took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on the morning of August 10, 2018. 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. "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. 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. 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. Video from Friday showed the Horizon Air Q400 doing large loops and other dangerous maneuvers as the sun set on the Puget Sound. But the plane slammed into tiny Ketron Island, a sparsely populated island southwest of Tacoma. 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. 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. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. July 4, 1986. 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. New surveillance. Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess. The cause of the crash wasn't immediately known, but the F-15s did not bring the plane down, Eckrote said. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. There were no passengers aboard. His responsibilities included towing and pushing aircraft for takeoff and gate approach, de-icing them, and handling baggage. 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. Copyright 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. "This is a complete shock to us," the family said in a statement Saturday night. F-15s were scrambled out of their base at Portland International Airport to intercept the plane. Russell echoed those claims in his last conversation with air traffic control. Cooper? I don't need that much help. Kathleen Reichel said she watched the planes pass by for about two minutes. The black boxes are now being sent to the National Transportation Safety Board for processing. The rest of Mr Russell's time in the air was well documented, thanks to his regular contact with SeaTac's tower. The Associated Press contributed to this report. He was immediately killed. strangest, scariest, most bizarre events of 2018. 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. You did that. Richard B. Russell reportedly stole a Horizon Air plane for a joyride before crashing and killing himself near Seattle. 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. Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. In fact, there have been a number of occurrences in recent decades in which ground personnel made off with aircraft. Later, a controller discusses getting a pilot on the radio to help Russell control the aircraft. Russell had no piloting experience, but he managed . Discovery Company. ", The statement said Russell, 29, was "a faithful husband, a loving son and a good friend. Moore stole (or stole and crashed) multiple airplanes, multiple boats, dozens of cars, etc. After the plane approached Ketron Island, Waldron saw a thick column of smoke followed by a loud explosion, he said. In a statement, the family says Richard Russell, whose nickname was "Beebo," was warm, kind and gentle. The plane was a Bombardier Q400, a turboprop that seats 76 people, owned by Horizon Air, part of Alaska Airlines. He complimented the controller: "You are very calm, collect, poised," he 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. While investigators concluded Russell intentionally crash the plane, his motive still remains a mystery. FBI released more information about Russell and the incident earlier this year, including witness statements from family, friends, and co-workers. A Warner Bros. Investigators on Saturday were trying to retrieve the plane's flight data recorder and its cockpit voice recorder. Later that day he stole an Alaska Air turboprop aircraft and crashed it into a remote island in Puget Sound. Russell went by "Beebo" on social media. 4.3M views 7 months ago A newly released video sheds new light on the moments leading up to Richard Russell crashing a plane. An hour and 45 minutes into the flight, Meyer crashed into the English Channel. Airports nationwide will now look at whether their security procedures need to change, CNN safety analyst David Soucie said. He is the author of The Plane That Wasn't There: Why We Haven't Found MH370. Airline and Seattle airport officials revealed the following at a news conference Saturday: In audio recordings of the incident posted on Broadcastify, Russell can be heard talking to air traffic controllers as they try to guide him to land the plane. But the plane made turns and aerobatic maneuvers that suggest some skill, she said. In a final video project set to cheery music, Russell included selfies from airport grounds and photos from his many trips. 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. 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 . 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. 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. 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. 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 first can be seen wandering through security, and is spotted again later on the tarmac. Jason Silverstein contributed to this report. I was kinda hoping that was going to be it. I feel really bad for Richard and for his family. Richard Russell, 29, can be seen at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport driving a pushback tractor with an Alaska Air turboprop attached. Despite the timing of the crash during prime fire season, the fires in the video seemed to be small and scattered. First published on August 11, 2018 / 4:48 PM. 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? 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. (AFP/Getty Images) Russell, 29, flew the plane for 75 . Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. Like a lot of bags. video Plane crashes near Seattle airport. SeaTac's tower began asking who was piloting the airplane, which culminated in the first of Mr Russell's exchanges with control that day. ", "Well," a controller responds, "we're not going to worry or think about that. "Russell had a few unexcused absences, but nothing considered significant.". 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. 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. August 13, 2018 / 5:34 AM His 75-minute flight during the golden twilight took him south and west, toward the Olympic Mountains. 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.". Im coming home! But it was not to be. "It's going to disappoint them to hear that I did thisJust a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess.". Authorities said he used a tractor to rotate the plane 180 degrees, positioning it so that he could taxi toward a runway. 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. August 11, 2018 / 11:29 PM "Russell was known as a quiet guy who read a lot," according to one witness statement. F-15 fighter jets scrambled to intercept the Q400, which ultimately crashed into Ketron Island, about 30 miles from the airport. He was killed in the crash. 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. He did not survive the crash. Maybe that will grease some gears with the higher up, Russell said to air traffic controllers. (DAILY NEWS VIDEO) . Horizon airline employee, 28-year-old Richard 'Bebo' Russell, stole a plane and took off before crashing into remote Pierce County island Because there were no passengers or crew aboard the plane, it wasnt considered a hijacking, and authorities response to the event seems to indicate that nobody ever expected an airport employee to hop in a plane and go for a ride with no apparent intent to terrorize, kill, or even make a greater statement. 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. 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. About to take off. 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. / CBS/AP. "The greatest threat we have to aviation is the insider threat," said Erroll Southers, a former FBI agent and transportation security expert. Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. ", 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. The man has been identified as Richard Russell, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation confirmed to CNN on Saturday night. ", First published on August 13, 2018 / 5:34 AM. For one, Russell shouldn't have been able to board the plane alone, he said. 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. 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. Earlier in the flight, Russell says: "This is probably, like, jail time for life, huh? You know?". 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. among other things. Domestic Flights, Airplane Door Rips Open Midflight on Russian Plane, Airport Worker Ingested Into Jet Engine, Dies, The Concorde Disaster, Battle Tanks, and More. He later stole the plane and eventually crashed it into an island in Puget Sound. Russell was recorded having multiple conversations with air traffic controllers who were trying to talk him into landing. 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. 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. 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. "Last night's event is going to push us to learn what we can from this tragedy so that we can ensure this does not happen again at Alaska Air Group or at any other airline," Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Airlines, told a news conference Saturday. He also told the controller he "wasn't really planning on landing" the aircraft, and he described himself as "just a broken guy.". 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 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. Tragic as Russell's death was, he could have inflicted vastly more damage had he been so inclined. Did you encounter any technical issues? One sketch that he posted included a drawing of a Q400 plane, the same kind of plane involved in Friday's crash. The incident is bizarre and tragic, but it is not unprecedented. While searching the crash site, investigators also located human remains among the aircraft materials. 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. Scroll down 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 Seattle FBI office said Sunday that it had recovered the flight data recorder and components of the cockpit voice recorder from the Horizon plane. Now let's land that airplane safely and don't hurt anybody on the ground," the helping pilot radios. "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. It evens out in the end.". ", Russell posted collages of photos from his trips around the world, writing that travel was "what keeps me going in the most unfavorable circumstances.". Like a lot of bags. "Everyone was literally frozen in place, muttering about what possibly happened," he said. 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. Ultimately the FBI determined that Mr Russell intentionally brought the airplane into a dive onto a small island in Puget Sound, where he died. 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 . Meyer had recently been passed over for promotion and had been arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct. Weve got the Weekend Ticket Takeover! Also see | Stolen plane narrowly missed family inside Ketron Island cabin. 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 . 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. Hell of a crime spree for a 19 year old. "So, (he) had some knowledge but clearly wasn't a commercial pilot.". In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt. Playing What We Want In Seattle! 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. "He was getting really stressed about the financial situation he was in. They pursued the aircraft before it went down on Ketron Island, between Tacoma and Olympia. 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 body camera and cell phone video shows firefighters climbing through dense brush and fallen trees to get to the crash site on Ketron Island. The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. Win Your Trip to Our 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards! I hope they can make it through this.". Photos show first responders that night sleeping outside on the ground. Richard Russell died in Friday's plane crash. U.S. Air Force Sergeant Paul Meyer, a 23-year-old crew chief stationed at Mildenhall Air Base in England, stole a C-130 cargo plane and took off. "I would like to apologize to each and every one of them. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Other pilots and SeaTac's tower exchange information about Mr Russell as they quickly realise that something unusual is going on. 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. That's just not safe.". What happened from then, left a. Officials don't believe Russell had a pilot's license, and they don't know how he knew to fly the plane. Horizon's parent company, Alaska Airlines, refused to comment on claims of workers being overworked or underpaid. John Waldron was walking along a trail near the bay when he noticed the two military jets following a plane doing aerobatics. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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.
Homes For Sale On Crooked Lake Texas Township Mi,
Miami Valley Hospital Cafeteria Hours,
Are Riley And Elayna Married,
Mike Moore Obituary Near Manchester,
Articles R