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. But the plane slammed into tiny Ketron Island, a sparsely populated island southwest of Tacoma. 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. 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. 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 Seattle FBI office said Sunday that it had recovered the flight data recorder and components of the cockpit voice recorder from the Horizon plane. Some speculated the plane was stolen as part of an insurance scam, or perhaps taken by terrorists who planned to use it as a flying bomb, but the truth remains unknown. 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. The fuselage was fragmented and appeared to be upside down, said Debra Eckrote, regional chief for the National Transportation Safety Board. New Video Shows When Richard Russell Stole a Plane at Sea-Tac - Jalopnik In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his travels. Please enter valid email address to continue. It was a strange day when Horizon Airlines Employee Richard "Beebo" Russell stole a plane in the middle of his working shift. Richard Russell, who stole plane from Sea-Tac, acted alone, crashed on Richard Russell, 'Rich': 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know Richard B. Russell reportedly stole a Horizon Air plane for a joyride before crashing and killing himself near Seattle. Hell of a crime spree for a 19 year old. 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. Its the first time that weve had a commercial aircraft stolen off the ramp of an active airport, Steven Armstrong, vice director of operations for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), told Rolling Stone. In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt. Later, a controller discusses getting a pilot on the radio to help Russell control the aircraft. Russell, a 3-1/2-year Horizon employee, worked as a ground service agent. 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. The man has been identified as Richard Russell, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation confirmed to CNN on Saturday night. They pursued the aircraft before it went down on Ketron Island, between Tacoma and Olympia. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May 23, 1969. Richard Russell said he didn't need much help: 'I've played some video "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. ", "Well," a controller responds, "we're not going to worry or think about that. Air traffic control became suspicious of Mr Russell after he cut in the line for takeoff. video Plane crashes near Seattle airport. At least 12 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Trump speaks at CPAC after winning straw poll, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. Bush, Duo of 81-year-old women plan to see the world in 80 days, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant to "take some time away" from the team after allegedly brandishing a gun in a club, Alex Murdaugh trial: What to know about the double murder case, FBI probes how airline employee stole plane, FBI investigating how airline employee stole plane before crashing, New details emerge about employee who stole, crashed airplane, NTSB to investigate in-flight turbulence that left 1 passenger dead, Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, someone can simply take a passenger plane from a major U.S. airport without authorization, push us to learn what we can from this tragedy. For one, Russell shouldn't have been able to board the plane alone, he said. 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. As the FBI investigation wrapped up earlier this week, West Pierce Fire and Rescue released some of the first footage from the scene through public disclosure. Richard Russell, 29, can be seen at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport driving a pushback tractor with an Alaska Air turboprop attached. The agency said that, had Mr Russell wanted, he could have recovered from the dive. His family says it's clear he didn't mean to harm anyone. 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. It's Troublingly Common for Ground Crew Members To Steal Planes 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. 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. Minimum wage, we'll chalk it up to that. It was empty, parked at a Seattle-Tacoma International Airport cargo and . Richard Russell, pilot of stolen Horizon Air plane, had lighthearted "You think if I land this successfully, Alaska will give me a job as a pilot?" Having to rely on the ferry system for transport, the first 40 responding firefighters stayed at the scene throughout the night. He was immediately killed. 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. Meyer had recently been passed over for promotion and had been arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct. Russell responds: "Awwww-right. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. He was in the air for about an hour. 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. Music from Green Day, Michael Jackson, Queen, Billy Joel, Tom Petty, Madonna, Pearl Jam, Fleetwood Mac, and more! In a statement, the family says Richard Russell, whose nickname was "Beebo," was warm, kind and gentle. "Never really knew it till now," 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! You did that. 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. 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. 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. Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. 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,. Plus we let you know whats going on locally with Lee Callahans Jacktivities! The footage shows him going through security wearing a T-shirt. "Oh man. Colton Harris Moore only got 6 years for stealing a plane and crashing it. "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. 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. He left prison after less than 5 years, on parole. Security footage shows man stealing plane he later crashed into a 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. New surveillance. Mr Russell's aerial joyride ultimately ended in a fiery crash on a remote island in Puget Sound. No one noticed the plane had disappeared until Mr Russell was in the air. "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. Richard Russell Plane Crash Video Explained 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Mr Russell's aerial joyride ultimately ended in a fiery crash on a remote island in Puget Sound. Nah, Im a white guy.. 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. Not long before the crash, a pilot who'd been helping controllers advise Russell appears to mention the maneuver. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. "So, (he) had some knowledge but clearly wasn't a commercial pilot.". Richard Russell died in Friday's plane crash. 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. July 4, 1986. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his various travels. "I thought they were practicing for an air show," he said. New video of 2018 Horizon Air plane heist at Sea-Tac | king5.com 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. "This is a complete shock to us," the family said in a statement Saturday night. I don't need that much help. 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. 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 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. Witnesses described the surreal scene after the plane left the airport. CCTV Footage Shows Baggage Handler Stealing Plane, Crashes On Island - TMZ The black boxes will hopefully give investigators more clues as they try to figure out why Russell flew the plane into the ground. Now let's land that airplane safely and don't hurt anybody on the ground," the helping pilot radios. "NORAD fighters did not fire upon the aircraft," North American Aerospace Defense Command said Saturday morning in a news release. The Sky Thief Richard Russell Plane Crash Video Gone Viral: What New video shows fiery scene of stolen plane crash on Ketron Island 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. By Louis Lucero II and Melissa Gomez. On the other hand, Russell was reported to have been profoundly troubled, whereas Malaysian authorities were unable to find any evidence that Shah suffered from mental illness or was undergoing any kind of stress in his life. Never really knew it until now.". 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. The Q400 is a turboprop aircraft with 76 seats. Win Tickets to Weezer with Spoon and White Reaper at White River Amphitheater on August 20th! 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. . Domestic Flights, Airplane Door Rips Open Midflight on Russian Plane, Airport Worker Ingested Into Jet Engine, Dies, The Concorde Disaster, Battle Tanks, and More. The FBI also said it found human remains among the wreckage. August 22, 1979. 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. Richard Russell Plane Crash Video From Seattle | Heavy.com 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. 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. About to take off. 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. I mean, I would hope it is, for a guy like me. Russell is then seen walking into a restricted area meant for baggage handlers, getting onto a tarmac tow vehicle, and dragging the plane he was set to steal onto the runway. The King County medical examiner ruled his death a suicide. He complimented the controller: "You are very calm, collect, poised," he 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. "There is a protocol to not allow anyone singularly to get onboard an aircraft," Soucie said. I feel really bad for Richard and for his family. Could 3 Particles on a Tie Lead Us to D.B. Maybe that will grease some gears with the higher up, Russell said to air traffic controllers. It evens out in the end.". It did not elaborate. Alaska Airlines flight 261 took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on the morning of August 10, 2018. First published on August 11, 2018 / 4:48 PM. "My husband and I are recently former Boeing employees, and we were wondering why a jet was near the passenger airplane," she said. 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. After Russell performed an unauthorized takeoff, two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighters were scrambled to intercept the aircraft. The sky thief Richard Russell captivated the audience's attention after the Authorities at the Port of Seattle released an airport surveillance video of plane stealing. Richard Russell said he didn't need much help: 'I've played some video In a final video project set to cheery music, Russell included selfies from airport . 7 months ago. 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. All Rights Reserved. "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. ", The statement said Russell, 29, was "a faithful husband, a loving son and a good friend. Russell was credentialed to be in secure areas at the airport, said Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Air Group, which owns Horizon Air. 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. "I lift a lot of bags. The tower alerted the Portland Air National Guard base, which dispatched a group of US Air Force F-15s to intercept the rouge aircraft. But the plane made turns and aerobatic maneuvers that suggest some skill, she said. Horizon airline employee, 28-year-old Richard 'Bebo' Russell, stole a plane and took off before crashing into remote Pierce County island The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. The man has been identified as Richard Russell, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation confirmed to CNN on Saturday night. In a final video project set to cheery music, Russell included selfies from airport grounds and photos from his many trips. 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 "Yeah, he knew how to fly," she continued. Also see | Stolen plane narrowly missed family inside Ketron Island cabin. I've played some video games before, he said. Family and friends try to reconcile Richard Russell's action with the The incident is bizarre and tragic, but it is not unprecedented. They say says this is a complete shock. That includes both domestic and international flights. Richard Russell: 'Heartbroken' family of Seattle airline employee - CNN Like a lot of bags. Author: Elisa Hahn Published: 11/14/2018 5:51:22 PM 2023 Cox Media Group. It's gonna be crazy," Mr Russel said. and last updated 2018-08-12 08:56:01-04. 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. Videos Show Richard Russell's Final Moments Before Shocking Plane Crash Russell's family said in a statement that they were stunned and heartbroken. 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. 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. So many bags," he said. Worker who stole plane and crashed identified, See stolen plane flying moments before crash, Co-worker of man who stole plane speaks out, Official: Man taxied plane before stealing it, Airline worker's family releases statement, Airline issues statement after Seattle crash, Witness: Thought Air Force was practicing for show. appreciated. Lee Callahan in the morning, and the No Repeat Workday while you work! The plane didn't require a key, but it did require buttons and switches to be activated in a particular order. Win Tickets to KISS at Climate Pledge Arena on November 6, 2023. July 13, 1994. "Although investigators received information regarding Russells background, possible stressors, and personal life, no element provided a clear motivation for Russells actions.". Scroll down to continue . (AFP/Getty Images) Russell, 29, flew the plane for 75 . "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.". If you miss out on Thursday, no worries! Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. An FBI investigation found Alaska Airlines ramp employee Richard Russell intentionally crashed the aircraft after flying for more than an hour. Earlier in the flight, Russell says: "This is probably, like, jail time for life, huh? August 11, 2018 / 11:29 PM Richard Russell: Authorities don't believe man who stole Dash-8 Q400 Photos show first responders that night sleeping outside on the ground. Authorities said Russell did not have a pilot's license. Russell was recorded having multiple conversations with air traffic controllers who were trying to talk him into landing. 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. 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. After Russell talked periodically with air traffic controllers for about an hour, the plane crashed at Ketron Island,officials said.