Also see | 'I was blown away': Stepbrother of man who stole plane speaks out. among other things. SEATTLE -- He cracked jokes, complimented the professional demeanor of an air traffic controller and apologized for making a fuss. 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. All Rights Reserved. He passed a series of background checks to gain his position, as he didn't have any criminal convictions. While investigators concluded Russell intentionally crash the plane, his motive still remains a mystery. and last updated 2018-08-12 08:56:01-04. First published on August 11, 2018 / 4:48 PM. The body camera and cell phone video shows firefighters climbing through dense brush and fallen trees to get to the crash site on Ketron Island. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Without communicating to air traffic controllers, he cut off another airplane and then managed to get the plane onto the runway and airborne. 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 . A curious and ultimately tragic story from 2018 finally has a little more context, thanks to security camera footage. "We are devastated by these events, and Jesus is truly the only one holding this family together right now. Richard Russell, 29, can be seen at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport driving a pushback tractor with an Alaska Air turboprop attached. Siddiq Saunderson Moved to L.A. and Immediately Bought a Prius, Millennials and Zillennials Can't Get Enough of Manual Transmissions, Dollar Flight Club Premium Plus (Lifetime Subscription), Tesla Investor Day 2023 Was Pretty Great if You Ignored Elon. Moore stole (or stole and crashed) multiple airplanes, multiple boats, dozens of cars, etc. Relatives of Richard Russell say they are "stunned and heartbroken" after the airline worker stole a passenger plane Friday from the Seattle-Tacoma . When Rolling Stone published its article last year, no major regulatory or security changes had been implemented in response to Russells deadly flight. Russell was recorded having multiple conversations with air traffic controllers who were trying to talk him into landing. 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 job of a ground service agent includes directing aircraft for takeoff and gate approach, handling baggage and tidying and de-icing planes, authorities said. 2023 Cox Media Group. Foote served four and a half months in the brig and later went on to become a test pilot in civilian life. By Jeff Wise Published: Aug 13, 2018 JASON REDMOND // Getty Images While in the air, Meyer, whod been married eight weeks before, called his wife and said, Guess what? 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Colton Harris Moore only got 6 years for stealing a plane and crashing it. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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 While searching the crash site, investigators also located human remains among the aircraft materials. New surveillance. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. I feel really bad for Richard and for his family. I've played some video games before," Russell responds. The fuselage was fragmented and appeared to be upside down, said Debra Eckrote, regional chief for the National Transportation Safety Board. At one point, he apologizes and says he is a "broken guy" with "a few screws loose. 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. 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. By Louis Lucero II and Melissa Gomez. 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? He was killed in the crash.
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.
. He also told the controller he "wasn't really planning on landing" the aircraft, and he described himself as "just a broken guy.". 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. But the friendly tone of a 29-year-old airport worker who stole a commercial plane Friday night, performing acrobatic stunts before a fatal plunge into a thick island forest, belied his desperate actions. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. It evens out in the end.". Lee Callahan in the morning, and the No Repeat Workday while you work! "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. "Never really knew it till now," he said. FBI released more information about Russell and the incident earlier this year, including witness statements from family, friends, and co-workers. They pursued the aircraft before it went down on Ketron Island, between Tacoma and Olympia. "NORAD fighters did not fire upon the aircraft," North American Aerospace Defense Command said Saturday morning in a news release. 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. "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.". 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. Video from a witness on the ground shows the plane at one point pulling up for a loop, putting the aircraft upside-down and then pulling back up just feet above a body of water. July 4, 1986. "Most importantly," he said in a voiceover about his job, "I get to visit those I love most. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his various travels. "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. "There is a protocol to not allow anyone singularly to get onboard an aircraft," Soucie said. Richard "Beebo" Russell (Screenshot from YouTube via AP) SEATTLE - The Horizon Air baggage handler who stole a commercial airplane from Sea-Tac Airport and took it for a 73-minute joy ride . The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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 sheriff's department described Russell as suicidal. 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,. 2023 Cable News Network. 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. Discovery Company. After Russell performed an unauthorized takeoff, two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighters were scrambled to intercept the aircraft. The black boxes are now being sent to the National Transportation Safety Board for processing. After proceeding through the pre-flight checklist and moving the pushback tractor, Mr Russell began rolling the plane toward a runway. 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. 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. Horizon's parent company, Alaska Airlines, refused to comment on claims of workers being overworked or underpaid. F-15 fighter jets scrambled to intercept the Q400, which ultimately crashed into Ketron Island, about 30 miles from the airport. 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. / CBS/AP. Win Tickets to KISS at Climate Pledge Arena on November 6, 2023. In a final video project set to cheery music, Russell included selfies from airport . Authorities said he used a tractor to rotate the plane 180 degrees, positioning it so that he could taxi toward a runway. The cause of the crash wasn't immediately known, but the F-15s did not bring the plane down, Eckrote 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. He left prison after less than 5 years, on parole. "I would like to apologize to each and every one of them. The man has been identified as Richard Russell, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation confirmed to CNN on Saturday night. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Like a lot of bags. Data from the flight data recorder showed there was a significant sideslip on the airplane during the last minute of the flight, but the airplane appeared to stay in control, according to the FBI report. 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. What was the richard russell plane crash story all about. 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. May 25, 2003. 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? Alaska Airlines flight 261 took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on the morning of August 10, 2018. I mean, I would hope it is, for a guy like me. Richard Russell, 29, walks through employee security screening at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. 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. The agency said that, had Mr Russell wanted, he could have recovered from the dive. John Waldron was walking along a trail near the bay when he noticed the two military jets following a plane doing aerobatics. The plane was a Bombardier Q400, a turboprop that seats 76 people, owned by Horizon Air, part of Alaska Airlines. 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. 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. Plus we let you know whats going on locally with Lee Callahans Jacktivities! "He was getting really stressed about the financial situation he was in. The plane was a Q400, a Bombardier turboprop plane, one of about 40 the airline has in its fleet. Richard B. Russell reportedly stole a Horizon Air plane for a joyride before crashing and killing himself near Seattle. 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. 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. Authorities sent fighter jets to escort him, and the controller repeatedly tried to direct him to runways. Jason Silverstein contributed to this report. An air traffic controller called him "Rich," and tried to convince him to land the airplane. 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. "You think if I land this successfully, Alaska will give me a job as a pilot?" 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.". Nah, Im a white guy.. The incident is bizarre and tragic, but it is not unprecedented. The black boxes will hopefully give investigators more clues as they try to figure out why Russell flew the plane into the ground. August 11, 2018 / 11:29 PM Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. Air traffic control became suspicious of Mr Russell after he cut in the line for takeoff. Weve got the Weekend Ticket Takeover! Enter for your chance to win a visit to the Disneyland Resort with 96.5 JACK FM! An FBI investigation found Alaska Airlines ramp employee Richard Russell intentionally crashed the aircraft after flying for more than an hour. Russell's family said in a statement that they were stunned and heartbroken. The plane didn't require a key, but it did require buttons and switches to be activated in a particular order. 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. Hell of a crime spree for a 19 year old. About to take off. In fact, there have been a number of occurrences in recent decades in which ground personnel made off with aircraft. Also see | Cockpit audio from worker who stole empty plane from Sea-Tac Airport. ", First published on August 13, 2018 / 5:34 AM. Each Thursday Ticket Takeover we giveaway prizes all day for different concerts, events, and more! The NTSB is now processing the equipment. Please enter valid email address to continue. He said flying was a "blast" and that he didn't need much help: "I've played some video games before.". F-15 "pilots kept plane out of harms way and people on ground safe," the sheriff's office tweeted. 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. Maybe that will grease some gears with the higher up, Russell said to air traffic controllers. 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.". Mr Russell's aerial joyride ultimately ended in a fiery crash on a remote island in Puget Sound. 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. Later that day he stole an Alaska Air turboprop aircraft and crashed it into a remote island in Puget Sound. Ultimately the FBI determined that Mr Russell intentionally brought the airplane into a dive onto a small island in Puget Sound, where he died. The King County medical examiner ruled his death a suicide. SeaTac's tower began asking who was piloting the airplane, which culminated in the first of Mr Russell's exchanges with control that day. On his Facebook page, which had limited public access, he said he was from Wasilla, Alaska; lived in Sumner, Washington; and was married in 2012. The newly published video, coupled with Rolling Stones detailed reconstruction of the events of August 10, 2018, paint the picture of a cheerful, gregarious fellow. strangest, scariest, most bizarre events of 2018. Investigators on Saturday were trying to retrieve the plane's flight data recorder and its cockpit voice recorder. So many bags," he said. The Q400 is a turboprop aircraft with 76 seats. He was immediately killed. 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. August 22, 1979. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Could 3 Particles on a Tie Lead Us to D.B. I was kinda hoping that was going to be it. July 13, 1994. 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.Private Label Pet Food Manufacturers Uk,
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