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.
. Russell was credentialed to be in secure areas at the airport, said Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Air Group, which owns Horizon Air. Besides his other duties, he was qualified to tow aircraft, said Gary Beck, Horizon Air's president and chief executive officer. The FBI also said it found human remains among the wreckage. He was immediately killed. The King County medical examiner ruled his death a suicide. Alaska Airlines flight 261 took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on the morning of August 10, 2018. They say says this is a complete shock. All rights reserved. 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. 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. Chilling CCTV footage shows Richard Russell stealing plane before fatal The footage shows him going through security wearing a T-shirt. 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. He's worked at Horizon longer than I did, and he still wasn't making $15 an hour, Reeves said. ", 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. "I think I'm going to try to do a barrel roll, and if that goes good I'll go nose down and call it a night," Richard Russell said from the cockpit, according to a recording of his conversation with the controller. Weve got the Weekend Ticket Takeover! "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. 2023 Cable News Network. The rest of Mr Russell's time in the air was well documented, thanks to his regular contact with SeaTac's tower. 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. That includes both domestic and international flights. 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. 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. 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? I've played some video games before," Russell responds. Like a lot of bags. 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. August 13, 2018 / 5:34 AM In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt. Earlier in the flight, Russell says: "This is probably, like, jail time for life, huh? 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. 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. FBI released more information about Russell and the incident earlier this year, including witness statements from family, friends, and co-workers. Officials don't believe Russell had a pilot's license, and they don't know how he knew to fly the plane. New video of 2018 Horizon Air plane heist at Sea-Tac | king5.com "We are devastated by these events, and Jesus is truly the only one holding this family together right now. 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. Video from Friday showed the Horizon Air Q400 doing large loops and other dangerous maneuvers as the sun set on the Puget Sound. I was kinda hoping that was going to be it. Horizon's parent company, Alaska Airlines, refused to comment on claims of workers being overworked or underpaid. 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,. 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. Russell had no piloting experience, but he managed . "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. The man has been identified as Richard Russell, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation confirmed to CNN on Saturday night. Richard Russell, who stole plane from Sea-Tac, acted alone, crashed on 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? 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. Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess. ", "I've got a lot of people that care about me," the man later said. 2018 Horizon Air Q400 incident - Wikipedia An air traffic controller called him "Rich," and tried to convince him to land the airplane. After proceeding through the pre-flight checklist and moving the pushback tractor, Mr Russell began rolling the plane toward a runway. 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. SEATTLE -- He cracked jokes, complimented the professional demeanor of an air traffic controller and apologized for making a fuss. .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. He first can be seen wandering through security, and is spotted again later on the tarmac. "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. Richard Russell: Man who stole SeaTac plane was warm and compassionate 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. 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. "He was a quiet guy," Rick Christenson, an operational supervisor with the airline who retired in Maytold The Seattle Times. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his various travels. When Rolling Stone published its article last year, no major regulatory or security changes had been implemented in response to Russells deadly flight. [deleted] 5 yr. ago. Human remains were found in wake of Friday's tragic plane crash. 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. It's Troublingly Common for Ground Crew Members To Steal Planes Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? So many bags," he said. He said flying was a "blast" and that he didn't need much help: "I've played some video games before.". 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. ", First published on August 13, 2018 / 5:34 AM. CNN's Kyung Lah reports.. President Donald Trump was briefed on the incident and is monitoring the situation, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Saturday morning. Please dont hesitate to utilize this resource. 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. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. "I never thought I would work as a Ground Service Agent (GSA) for an Airlines company," he wrote in a blog post in September 2017. Scroll down to continue . "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.". 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. Domestic Flights, Airplane Door Rips Open Midflight on Russian Plane, Airport Worker Ingested Into Jet Engine, Dies, The Concorde Disaster, Battle Tanks, and More. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 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. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. 4.3M views 7 months ago A newly released video sheds new light on the moments leading up to Richard Russell crashing a plane. Even with this new footage at hand, its hard to figure out what made Russell embark on this brazen, fatal adventure. 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. Investigators on Saturday were trying to retrieve the plane's flight data recorder and its cockpit voice recorder. "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.". It did not elaborate. Who Was Richard Russell? Man Steals Airplane and Crashes | Time Russell, a Horizon Air ground service agent for three and a half years, was the only person aboard the plane, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department said. "This is a complete shock to us," the family said in a statement Saturday night. Security footage shows man stealing plane he later crashed into a "Nah, I mean, I don't need that much help. A ground service agent's tasks don't involve touching planes' controls, CNN aviation analyst Mary Schiavo said. He also told the controller he "wasn't really planning on landing" the aircraft, and he described himself as "just a broken guy.". 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. The Associated Press contributed to this report. CNN's Kyung Lah reports. "He was getting really stressed about the financial situation he was in. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. "Everyone was literally frozen in place, muttering about what possibly happened," he said. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Chilling CCTV footage shows Richard Russell stealing plane - HITC 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. 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. 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 cause of the crash wasn't immediately known, but the F-15s did not bring the plane down, Eckrote said. I've played some video games before, he said. New video shows fiery scene of stolen plane crash on Ketron Island While investigators concluded Russell intentionally crash the plane, his motive still remains a mystery. One sketch that he posted included a drawing of a Q400 plane, the same kind of plane involved in Friday's crash. Hell of a crime spree for a 19 year old. The jets were not involved in the crash, it said. "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. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Like a lot of bags. The plane was a Bombardier Q400, a turboprop that seats 76 people, owned by Horizon Air, part of Alaska Airlines. ", Russell posted collages of photos from his trips around the world, writing that travel was "what keeps me going in the most unfavorable circumstances.". August 22, 1979. 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! If you miss out on Thursday, no worries! So many bags," he 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. August 11, 2018 / 11:29 PM The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. Russell, a 3-1/2-year Horizon employee, worked as a ground service agent. Horizon airline employee, 28-year-old Richard 'Bebo' Russell, stole a plane and took off before crashing into remote Pierce County island 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. 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. 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. The agency said that, had Mr Russell wanted, he could have recovered from the dive. "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 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. The plane was a Q400, a Bombardier turboprop plane, one of about 40 the airline has in its fleet. Please enter valid email address to continue. "Russell had a few unexcused absences, but nothing considered significant.". Also see | Cockpit audio from worker who stole empty plane from Sea-Tac Airport. Padilla and an a recently hired assistant boarded the plane, taxied it to the runway, took off, and head out over the Atlantic Ocean. 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. In a final video project set to cheery music, Russell included selfies from airport grounds and photos from his many trips. 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. 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. 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. His responsibilities included towing and pushing aircraft for takeoff and gate approach, de-icing them, and handling baggage. A fter 29-year-old airline employee Richard B. Russell stole a plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Friday night and crashed it into Ketron Island in Puget Sound, questions remain. 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. 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. A video made by Richard Russell, the man who just stole a plane. Authorities sent fighter jets to escort him, and the controller repeatedly tried to direct him to runways. Despite the timing of the crash during prime fire season, the fires in the video seemed to be small and scattered. The fuselage was fragmented and appeared to be upside down, said Debra Eckrote, regional chief for the National Transportation Safety Board. Richard Russell: Authorities don't believe man who stole Dash-8 Q400 Richard Russell, 'Rich': 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The black boxes will hopefully give investigators more clues as they try to figure out why Russell flew the plane into the ground. Reeves said he left Horizon because workers are overworked and underpaid. New footage released by the Port of Seattle shows Mr Russell who worked as a baggage handler at the airport preparing the plane for takeoff. 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. The tower alerted the Portland Air National Guard base, which dispatched a group of US Air Force F-15s to intercept the rouge aircraft. (DAILY NEWS VIDEO) . He had no purpose to be at that plane Friday evening "other than what he did do," Tilden said. "Although investigators received information regarding Russells background, possible stressors, and personal life, no element provided a clear motivation for Russells actions.". All Rights Reserved. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2. "Congratulations. he joked. 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. Also see | 'I was blown away': Stepbrother of man who stole plane speaks out. New Video Shows When Richard Russell Stole a Plane at Sea-Tac - Jalopnik Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. 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. Never really knew it until now.". Richard Russell, pilot of stolen Horizon Air plane, had lighthearted 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. After Russell performed an unauthorized takeoff, two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighters were scrambled to intercept the aircraft. I don't know! We may earn a commission from links on this page. Each Thursday Ticket Takeover we giveaway prizes all day for different concerts, events, and more! He eventually climbs inside the cockpit and fires up the engine. Russell echoed those claims in his last conversation with air traffic control. Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. appreciated. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Airports nationwide will now look at whether their security procedures need to change, CNN safety analyst David Soucie said. Richard Russell: quiet, well-liked Seattle airport worker who stole a plane 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. After the plane approached Ketron Island, Waldron saw a thick column of smoke followed by a loud explosion, he said. A Warner Bros. F-15 "pilots kept plane out of harms way and people on ground safe," the sheriff's office tweeted. 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. "You think if I land this successfully, Alaska will give me a job as a pilot?" Authorities said he used a tractor to rotate the plane 180 degrees, positioning it so that he could taxi toward a runway. The worker performed several aerial stunts in the stolen aircraft before ultimately crashing on Ketron Island. "I would like to apologize to each and every one of them. That's just not safe.". An FBI investigation found Alaska Airlines ramp employee Richard Russell intentionally crashed the aircraft after flying for more than an hour. 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. Russell repeatedly says he would do a roll. What was the richard russell plane crash story all about. You know?". One sketch that he posted included a drawing of a Q400 plane, the same kind of plane involved in Friday's crash.