The crash occurred because the 29-year-old man was \"doing stunts in air or lack of flying skills,\" the Pierce County Sheriff's Department said. The plane was not scheduled for a flight when Mr. Russell commandeered it. Colton Harris-Moore, nicknamed the Barefoot Bandit, was sentenced in 2011 for stealing small planes, which he had learned to fly himself as a teenager after reading flight manuals. The F.B.I. But four former ground-service agents who worked with him keyed in on one line from the cockpit recording, a complaint about wages and a dig at management. The incident led to a dramatic and tragic night on August 10, 2018, as aircraft were grounded at Sea-Tac while fighter jets followed the man and air traffic controllers tried unsuccessfully to help him land the aircraft. Sea-Tac airport confirmed the plane was down a short time later. [8/10/2018] Alaska Airlines has confirmed there was an 'unauthorized take-off' of a plane at Seattle-Tacoma. We had a ground stop for quite a while here, a dispatcher says. August 13, 2018, 6:50pm. Family of man who stole plane and crashed it 'stunned and heartbroken' Ah, Rich, dont say stuff like that, the controller said. So many bags.. / CBS/AP. Then, it segues into a montage of photos from Russells trips to Alaska, France, Ireland, and other places before ending with a scene from a family gathering. About to take off. The family of a man who authorities say stole an airplane from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Friday and died when he later crashedthe aircraft said they were "stunned and heartbroken" and called him "a warm and compassionate man.". Russell said to dispatchers, You think if I can land this successfully, Alaska will give me a job as a pilot? and the Air Traffic Control tower said, I think they will give you a job doing anything if you pull this off. He replied, according to some sites, Yeah right! He chatted sometimes calmly and sometimes in a frenzied stream of consciousness with air traffic controllers who tried to guide him to a safe landing, as jets from the Air National Guards of Washington and Oregon flew alongside him, ready to take action. Although he didnt have a pilots license, Russell knew how to work the plane from his experience as an airport employee, the FBI previously said. Russell is presumed dead. The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. We were married one year later, and one month after that we opened a bakery which we successfully ran for 3 years, he explained on his website of his wife. A ground service agent at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport flew a stolen turboprop for just under an hour before eventually crashing 30 miles away. Richard Russell, Who Stole Plane Near Seattle, Raises Troubling He sounds like a broken man who needed help. We decided to sell and move in 2015, because we were both so far removed from our families. Richard Russell was a jokester who complained about work, but Sea-Tac Rick Christenson, an operational supervisor with Horizon, said that while he had met Mr. Russell only in passing between shifts, I do remember him as a nice quiet young man. He added that Mr. Russells ability to fly might have come from flight simulator games., In a video that appears to have been posted by Mr. Russell in December, he introduced himself as a ground service agent. In what appears to be his personal blog, Russell described himself as a native of Key West, Florida, who moved to Alaska at age seven. Damnit Andrew, peoples lives are at stake here, Rich said at one point in the audio, which you can listen to later in this article. He is flying around the airport, he does not know how to land it. The fighter jets were scrambled from Portland. Later crashes the plane on an remote island near Seattle. On Facebook, Rich, using the name Beebo Russell, wrote that he lived in Sumner, Washington, was from Wasilla, Alaska, and was married to Hannah Russell, who works as an assistant pastry chef and waitress, according to her social media account. "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 is impossible to encompass who he was in a press release. There is the runway just about a mile off your right side, do you see that? He said he met "Hannah" in Coos Bay . He also included photos of his wedding and traveling he'd done in the mountains and other sites he'd seen, including some ancient ruins. Speaking with the Seattle Times, one of Russells former co-workers described him as a quiet, well-liked young man. He had worked his shift on Friday. richard russell audio transcript. He also posted audio clips of interviews he conducted to SoundCloud for what appears to have been a multimedia college class. Who was Richard Russell? The man who stole a plane with no one else on board from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport late Friday has been identified as Richard Russell, 29, according to two unnamed law. We believe there are no passengers on board. 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. "In this season of life, we enjoy exploring as much as possible, whether its a day (or so) trip to one of Alaska Airlines destinations or visiting a new area of Washington," he wrote. Never before seen Footage of Richard Russell Final Flight [8/10/2018] FBI releases classified documents from 2018 Horizon Air plane theft Im in the air right now. Hannah and Beebo met at a Campus Crusade for Christ gathering at Southwestern Oregon Community College last year, the site reported. Plane is a Q4. The plane didn't require a key, but it did require buttons and switches to be activated in a particular order. The Associated Press contributed to this report. #iflyalaska #akedchat.. Before takeoff, the pilot explains someone stole an airplane, and is flying around near Mt. Horizon ground-service agents are also one of the few nonunionized groups of tarmac workers at Sea-Tac. 4.3M views 7 months ago A newly released video sheds new light on the moments leading up to Richard Russell crashing a plane. The episode raised questions about the little-known details of life on the tarmac, in the loading, fueling and cleaning operations of airplanes unglamorous work that is critical to public safety but often poorly paid. More information as we learn more, Alaska Airlines wrote on Twitter around 9:20 p.m. on the west coast. Russell says on the blog that he liked his job because it allowed him to travel back to Alaska to see his family. But another posting, again for Russells communications class, hinted at a dissatisfaction with his job, albeit one thats common in many workplaces. I hope they can make it through this, retired Horizon Air operations supervisor Rick Christenson told the Times. Wish me luck! On YouTube, he also went by the name Beebo Russell. One man wrote on Twitter, Some dude stole a plane from #Seatac (Allegedly), did a loop-the-loop, ALMOST crashed into #ChambersBay, then crossed in front of our party, chased by fighter jets and subsequently crashed. Ah, minimum wage. We are devastated by these events and Jesus is truly the only one holding this family together right now. 'He was loved by everyone' - 'heartbroken' family pays tribute to man His 75-minute flight during the golden twilight took him south and west, toward the Olympic Mountains. \"It's going to disappoint them to hear that I did thisJust a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess.\" Authorities said Russell did not have a pilot's license. The records say 28-year-old Alaska Airlines ground worker Richard Russell of Sumner, Washington, entered the empty turboprop passenger aircraft about 7:30 p.m. Aug. 10 as it sat on an airport. The video shows Russell wearing a shirt that reads The skys no limit, as he passed through security at the airport, where he worked. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt. In the article, Russell described himself as laid back and easy going. In July 2022, video was released that showed Russells last moments going through security, taking off in the plane, and communicating with air traffic control. Seattle Airport surveillance video shows man stealing passenger plane But SeaTacs law didnt cover everybody specifically it doesnt apply to airline employees, like Horizon ground-service agents. You can watch the video above. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Couple killed in plane crash during 400-mile trip: Doing what they loved, Russian military jet explodes in midair before crashing into lake, Business jet pitched wildly, killing 1, amid cockpit warnings: NTSB. Below are some of the clips. Richard Russell The airline employee who stole a commercial plane from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Friday night and flew it through the skies before crashing it, killing himself, has been identified by colleagues as Richard "Beebo" Russell. "You think if I land this successfully, Alaska will give me a job as a pilot?" \"I lift a lot of bags. This is a complete shock to us, his family wrote. We present three-dimensional maps in monochromatic extinction A0 and the extinction parameter R0 within a few degrees of the Galactic plane. So if the person has basic understanding from what I understand he was support personnel, ground personnel they probably do have at least a basic understanding on how to start the aircraft.. Authorities said they saw no apparent security violations before he stole the plane, but Russell had been. (modern). On Instagram, Hannah Russell posted recent photos with Rich. Nicest person in the room.. Its blast, man, Mr. Russell replied. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Officials were quick to point out that Russell, an employee of three and a half years with Alaska Airlines regional subsidiary Horizon Air, passed the background checks necessary to handle baggage and clean aircraft. 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.\"Russell posted collages of photos from his trips around the world, writing that travel was \"what keeps me going in the most unfavorable circumstances.\"One sketch that he posted included a drawing of a Q400 plane, the same kind of plane involved in Friday's crash. MECHANIC Richard Russell stole a passenger plane before performing loop-the-loops and crashing into an island. The incident led to a dramatic and tragic night on August 10, 2018, as aircraft were grounded at Sea-Tac while fighter jets followed the man and air traffic controllers tried unsuccessfully to help him land the aircraft. \"Oh man. On what is believed to be his personal blog, Richard Russell said he was born in Key West, Florida, and moved to Alaska at age seven. Richard Russell Steals a Horizon Air Q400 (Exclusive New Footage), On August 10, 2018, a Horizon ground operations employee by the name of Richard Bryan Russell Jr., stole a $32,000,000 Horizon Q400 airplane, N449QX, from the Cargo 1 / Line 1 area at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Referring to the video recordings, the family pointed out that Mr. Russell did not intend to harm anyone. \"It seemed like he was well liked by the other workers. Russell, who worked for Horizon Air, a regional subsidiary of Alaska Airlines, flew the plane for 73 minutes before crashing it into remote Ketron Island, which has fewer than 20 residents. On Facebook, Rich, using the name Beebo Russell, wrote that he lived in Sumner, Washington, was from Wasilla, Alaska, and was married to Hannah Russell, who worked as an assistant pastry chef and waitress, according to her social media account. This is not a terrorist incident. There were no passengers aboard. Richard Hanson - Senior Software Engineer - Discord | LinkedIn This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He never talked about any mental-health issues, Fan said. A 2012 article in the World described how Russell met his wife. After Russell performed an unauthorized takeoff, two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighters were scrambled to intercept the aircraft. A week after Russell stole a 76-seat passenger planefrom Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, traversing the Puget Sound region for more than an hour before crashing to his death on Ketron Island, there are few hints as to why he did it or how he was able to fly a commercial airplane. He was right in saying that there are so many people who have loved him.. Everything We Know About Richard Russell, the Man Who Stole and - Vice 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.\"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. How did an airline worker manage to steal a commercial aircraft? To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Richard Russell had a website that appears to have been for a college communications class. The Q400 is a turboprop aircraft with 76 seats. Without Him we would be hopeless. Preliminary info is that a mechanic from unknown airlines stole plane. We are working back ground on him now, the Pierce County Sheriff wrote. Ah, Rich, dont say stuff like that, the controller said. The video starts with images of what its like to work as a baggage handler for an airline, sometimes in the rainy weather. Hey all! The man who stole an empty Horizon Air plane from Sea-Tac International Airport before it crashed near Seattle was Richard Russell, a US official said on Saturday. \"He was a quiet guy,\" Rick Christenson, an operational supervisor with the airline who retired in May told The Seattle Times. In a frantic, seven-second dash, the husky. The married airport employee "hijacked" the Alaska Airlines plane before being caught on video performing stunts in the sky as he was tailed by fighter jets. Pilots kept plane out of harms way and people on ground safe. Our heart is heavy for the family and friends of the person involved.. I sure married a nice pair of calves! she joked with a photo of the couple. Maybe that will grease the gears a little bit with the higher-ups, he said at another point. On Facebook, he had liked the Republican Party and conservative personalities like Sean Hannity and Ben Shapiro. Mike Criss, a family friend, whose son had been close friends with Russell since second grade, saidthat hed last talked to Russell in February. Now video was released. #seatac pic.twitter.com/OVtJqphgqo. Harrowing audio revealed Russell joking with the controllers who begged him to land the 76-seater plane before it nosedived and burst into a fireball 25 miles away. I feel really bad for Richard and for his family. "As the voice recording show, Beebo's intent was not to harm anyone and he was right in saying that there are so many people who loved him," the statement read. Im praying for #Rich tonightnot just the guy who stole a plane from #SeaTac, but every guy like Rich who (it seemsbut Ill admit Im assuming a lot here) is suffering and cannot find a better way out. On his blog, Richard talks about how he and his wife once ran a bakery. Who was Richard Russell, what happened in the Seattle plane crash and Richard Russell, pilot of stolen Horizon Air plane, had lighthearted I feel really bad for Richard and for his family. Just kind of soaring around, he told air traffic control. bit.ly/subAIRBOYD Various scanner recordings from liveatc.net and broadcastify.com SEA Ground, Tower, Departure/Approach. You can listen to more archived aviation audio on the incident here, some of which captures the mans voice: READ NEXT: TikTok Influencers Son Murdered at Gas Station. They dont necessarily use a key, so theres switches that they use to start the aircraft, she said. Who was Richard Russell, what happened in the Seattle plane crash and what has his wife and family said? Live aviation audio from the tower said, at one point, that dispatchers were urging Rich Russell to try to land that airplane safely and not hurt anybody while dealing with a snarl of stalled planes on the ground.
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