", "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. After the plane approached Ketron Island, Waldron saw a thick column of smoke followed by a loud explosion, he said. "This is a complete shock to us," the family said in a statement Saturday night. 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. "Everyone was literally frozen in place, muttering about what possibly happened," he said. The FBI will lead the investigation, said Eckrote, the NTSB regional chief. The plane was a Q400, a Bombardier turboprop plane, one of about 40 the airline has in its fleet. I've played some video games before," Russell responds. I was kinda hoping that was going to be it. Minimum wage, we'll chalk it up to that. President Donald Trump was briefed on the incident and is monitoring the situation, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Saturday morning. 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. They pursued the aircraft before it went down on Ketron Island, between Tacoma and Olympia. "Tower, you need to call and scramble now," one Alaska Air pilot called out. ", "Well," a controller responds, "we're not going to worry or think about that. "Nah, I mean, I don't need that much help. Russell's family said in a statement that they were stunned and heartbroken. 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. "I lift a lot of bags. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The incident came about when a 29-year-old man stole an aircraft from Seattle-Tacoma International airport in August 2018. and last updated 2018-08-12 08:56:01-04. Mr Russell's aerial joyride ultimately ended in a fiery crash on a remote island in Puget Sound. Enter for your chance to win a visit to the Disneyland Resort with 96.5 JACK FM! Nah, Im a white guy.. "So, (he) had some knowledge but clearly wasn't a commercial pilot.". 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 His 75-minute flight during the golden twilight took him south and west, toward the Olympic Mountains. July 13, 1994. 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? Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? He was right in saying that there are so many people who have loved him.". 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. 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. 2023 Cable News Network. I mean, I would hope it is, for a guy like me. SEATAC, Wash. - It was a shocking scene above the Puget Sound, as Horizon Airlines employee Richard Russell stole and flew a turboprop from Sea-Tac Airport while air traffic tried to talk him . "Most importantly," he said in a voiceover about his job, "I get to visit those I love most. He had no purpose to be at that plane Friday evening "other than what he did do," Tilden said. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Besides his other duties, he was qualified to tow aircraft, said Gary Beck, Horizon Air's president and chief executive officer. 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. 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. It was a strange day when Horizon Airlines Employee Richard "Beebo" Russell stole a plane in the middle of his working shift. "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. 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. 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 . Newly released video shows the fiery scene firefighters encountered after an airplane stolen from Sea-Tac Airport crashed on Ketron Island. By Jeff Wise Published: Aug 13, 2018 JASON REDMOND // Getty Images In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt. 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. He eventually climbs inside the cockpit and fires up the engine. "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. (AFP/Getty Images) Russell, 29, flew the plane for 75 . The incident is bizarre and tragic, but it is not unprecedented. 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. "My husband and I are recently former Boeing employees, and we were wondering why a jet was near the passenger airplane," she said. The incident, which the FBI's Seattle office did not consider terrorism, raises questions about airport security. 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. Scroll down to continue . After Russell performed an unauthorized takeoff, two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighters were scrambled to intercept the aircraft. Russell, a 3-1/2-year Horizon employee, worked as a ground service agent. Cooper? The worker performed several aerial stunts in the stolen aircraft before ultimately crashing on Ketron Island. He did not survive the crash. It was empty, parked at a Seattle-Tacoma International Airport cargo and . strangest, scariest, most bizarre events of 2018. 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. 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. Russell, 29 is presumed dead. Ultimately the FBI determined that Mr Russell intentionally brought the airplane into a dive onto a small island in Puget Sound, where he died. It evens out in the end.". Please enter valid email address to continue. (DAILY NEWS VIDEO) . The agency says the 28-year-old's loved ones hosted an intervention for him, who "seemed fine" besides increased drinking. 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. The plane didn't require a key, but it did require buttons and switches to be activated in a particular order. ", The statement said Russell, 29, was "a faithful husband, a loving son and a good friend. While in the air, Meyer, whod been married eight weeks before, called his wife and said, Guess what? Join the Celebration of a Lifetime! 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. But the plane slammed into tiny Ketron Island, a sparsely populated island southwest of Tacoma. An FBI investigation found Alaska Airlines ramp employee Richard Russell intentionally crashed the aircraft after flying for more than an hour. Airline officials believe he was in uniform and worked a shift Friday, Tilden said. 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. "He was a quiet guy," Rick Christenson, an operational supervisor with the airline who retired in Maytold The Seattle Times. 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. An air traffic controller called him "Rich," and tried to convince him to land the airplane. It's gonna be crazy," Mr Russel said. Now let's land that airplane safely and don't hurt anybody on the ground," the helping pilot radios. 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. I don't need that much help. About to take off. Reeves said he left Horizon because workers are overworked and underpaid. In a statement, the family says Richard Russell, whose nickname was "Beebo," was warm, kind and gentle. 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 was killed in the crash. That's just not safe.". We may earn a commission from links on this page. 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. "I lift a lot of bags. 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. The fuselage was fragmented and appeared to be upside down, said Debra Eckrote, regional chief for the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB is now processing the equipment. He later stole the plane and eventually crashed it into an island in Puget Sound. "NORAD fighters did not fire upon the aircraft," North American Aerospace Defense Command said Saturday morning in a news release. 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. 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. While investigators concluded Russell intentionally crash the plane, his motive still remains a mystery. Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. May 23, 1969. In a final video project set to cheery music, Russell included selfies from airport . Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. 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. . 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. 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. "He was getting really stressed about the financial situation he was in. What was the richard russell plane crash story all about. He complimented the controller: "You are very calm, collect, poised," he said. The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. The man could be heard on audio recordings telling air traffic controllers that he is "just a broken guy." Jason Silverstein contributed to this report. 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. 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. Jeff Wise is a New York-based science journalist specializing in aviation and psychology. The black boxes are now being sent to the National Transportation Safety Board for processing. 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. 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 . 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. July 4, 1986. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Russell had no piloting experience, but he managed . "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. Earlier in the flight, Russell says: "This is probably, like, jail time for life, huh? Discovery Company. All Rights Reserved. August 22, 1979. 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. 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. What followed was a 73-minute joyride during which Richard Beebo Russell had a surprisingly candid conversation with air-traffic controllers as he pushed the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 twin-engine plane through some daring acrobatic moves. [deleted] 5 yr. ago. CNN's Kyung Lah reports. FBI released more information about Russell and the incident earlier this year, including witness statements from family, friends, and co-workers. "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. "Congratulations. Video from Friday showed the Horizon Air Q400 doing large loops and other dangerous maneuvers as the sun set on the Puget Sound. Officials don't believe Russell had a pilot's license, and they don't know how he knew to fly the plane. The plane had been parked in a maintenance area and was not scheduled for a passenger flight, Tilden said. One sketch that he posted included a drawing of a Q400 plane, the same kind of plane involved in Friday's crash. 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. Please enter valid email address to continue. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Even with this new footage at hand, its hard to figure out what made Russell embark on this brazen, fatal adventure. 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. He flew until the plane ran out of fuel and died in the ensuing crash. Also see | 'I was blown away': Stepbrother of man who stole plane speaks out. Foote was an experienced glider pilot and had undergone 100 hours of simulator flying in the Skyhawk and had hoped to become a military pilot before his ambitions were derailed by health issues. Like a lot of bags. Authorities sent fighter jets to escort him, and the controller repeatedly tried to direct him to runways. The theft illustrated what aviation experts have long known: One of the biggest potential perils for commercial air travel is airline or airport employees causing mayhem. Human remains were found in wake of Friday's tragic plane crash. CNN's Kyung Lah reports.. 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