2023 Cable News Network. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Win Tickets to Weezer with Spoon and White Reaper at White River Amphitheater on August 20th! Russell was recorded having multiple conversations with air traffic controllers who were trying to talk him into landing. 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 His 75-minute flight during the golden twilight took him south and west, toward the Olympic Mountains. Airline officials believe he was in uniform and worked a shift Friday, Tilden said. In fact, there have been a number of occurrences in recent decades in which ground personnel made off with aircraft. ", 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 fuselage was fragmented and appeared to be upside down, said Debra Eckrote, regional chief for the National Transportation Safety Board. The plane had been parked in a maintenance area and was not scheduled for a passenger flight, Tilden said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Discovery Company. August 11, 2018 / 11:29 PM Author: Elisa Hahn Published: 11/14/2018 5:51:22 PM We may earn a commission from links on this page. "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.". 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. Richard B. Russell reportedly stole a Horizon Air plane for a joyride before crashing and killing himself near Seattle. The incident is bizarre and tragic, but it is not unprecedented. "I thought they were practicing for an air show," he said. 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. ", "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. Other pilots and SeaTac's tower exchange information about Mr Russell as they quickly realise that something unusual is going on. "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 tower alerted the Portland Air National Guard base, which dispatched a group of US Air Force F-15s to intercept the rouge aircraft. "He was getting really stressed about the financial situation he was in. By Louis Lucero II and Melissa Gomez. It was empty, parked at a Seattle-Tacoma International Airport cargo and . For one, Russell shouldn't have been able to board the plane alone, he said. About to take off. "My husband and I are recently former Boeing employees, and we were wondering why a jet was near the passenger airplane," she said. Mr Russell's aerial joyride ultimately ended in a fiery crash on a remote island in Puget Sound. "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.". Russell took the Q400 from a cargo area at the north end of Sea-Tac Airport on August 10. It did not elaborate. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. 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. 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 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.". Newly released video shows the fiery scene firefighters encountered after an airplane stolen from Sea-Tac Airport crashed on Ketron Island. 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. (DAILY NEWS VIDEO) . 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. "I lift a lot of bags. 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. 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. / CBS/AP. Richard Russell died in Friday's plane crash. While investigators concluded Russell intentionally crash the plane, his motive still remains a mystery. His family says it's clear he didn't mean to harm anyone. Horizon's parent company, Alaska Airlines, refused to comment on claims of workers being overworked or underpaid. "Never really knew it till now," he said. It evens out in the end.". 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. During an exchange with air traffic controllers, Russell mentioned he had some experience using flight simulator software. .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. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much 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. 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. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. In a final video project set to cheery music, Russell included selfies from airport grounds and photos from his many trips. He said flying was a "blast" and that he didn't need much help: "I've played some video games before.". Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Officials don't believe Russell had a pilot's license, and they don't know how he knew to fly the plane. "I always felt bad for the guys and gals who handled luggage. 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. strangest, scariest, most bizarre events of 2018. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his travels. Russell responds: "Awwww-right. 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. 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. 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. I feel really bad for Richard and for his family. 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. I hope they can make it through this.". ", First published on August 13, 2018 / 5:34 AM. 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. he joked. The black boxes will hopefully give investigators more clues as they try to figure out why Russell flew the plane into the ground. In a statement, the family says Richard Russell, whose nickname was "Beebo," was warm, kind and gentle. 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,. Im coming home! But it was not to be. Meyer had recently been passed over for promotion and had been arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct. August 13, 2018 / 5:34 AM An air traffic controller called him "Rich," and tried to convince him to land the airplane. (AFP/Getty Images) Russell, 29, flew the plane for 75 . The jets were not involved in the crash, it said. among other things. Despite the timing of the crash during prime fire season, the fires in the video seemed to be small and scattered. Russell went by "Beebo" on social media. 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? "Yeah, he knew how to fly," she continued. No one noticed the plane had disappeared until Mr Russell was in the air. 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. Cooper? A curious and ultimately tragic story from 2018 finally has a little more context, thanks to security camera footage. The plane didn't require a key, but it did require buttons and switches to be activated in a particular order. First published on August 11, 2018 / 4:48 PM. He also told the controller he "wasn't really planning on landing" the aircraft, and he described himself as "just a broken guy.". FBI released more information about Russell and the incident earlier this year, including witness statements from family, friends, and co-workers. The agency said that, had Mr Russell wanted, he could have recovered from the dive. After Russell talked periodically with air traffic controllers for about an hour, the plane crashed at Ketron Island,officials said. SEATTLE -- He cracked jokes, complimented the professional demeanor of an air traffic controller and apologized for making a fuss. Also see | 'I was blown away': Stepbrother of man who stole plane speaks out. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. It's gonna be crazy," Mr Russel 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. But the plane slammed into tiny Ketron Island, a sparsely populated island southwest of Tacoma. Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. 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. I don't want to. 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. 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. 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. video Plane crashes near Seattle airport. Also see | Cockpit audio from worker who stole empty plane from Sea-Tac Airport. So many bags," he said. I've played some video games before," Russell responds. SeaTac's tower began asking who was piloting the airplane, which culminated in the first of Mr Russell's exchanges with control that day. Alaska Airlines flight 261 took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on the morning of August 10, 2018. After Russell performed an unauthorized takeoff, two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighters were scrambled to intercept the aircraft. "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. 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. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. He left prison after less than 5 years, on parole. 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. Ultimately the FBI determined that Mr Russell intentionally brought the airplane into a dive onto a small island in Puget Sound, where he died. 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Could 3 Particles on a Tie Lead Us to D.B. "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. 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 greatest threat we have to aviation is the insider threat," said Erroll Southers, a former FBI agent and transportation security expert. Mr Russell's aerial joyride ultimately ended in a fiery crash on a remote island in Puget Sound. 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?

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