The plane was a Bombardier Q400, a turboprop that seats 76 people, owned by Horizon Air, part of Alaska Airlines. Air traffic control became suspicious of Mr Russell after he cut in the line for takeoff. The FBI will lead the investigation, said Eckrote, the NTSB regional chief. Richard Russell, 29, can be seen at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport driving a pushback tractor with an Alaska Air turboprop attached. 2018 Horizon Air Q400 incident - Wikipedia appreciated. / CBS/AP. But could you start a left-hand turn, please?". The agency says the 28-year-old's loved ones hosted an intervention for him, who "seemed fine" besides increased drinking. It evens out in the end.". All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. 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. "Russell was known as a quiet guy who read a lot," according to one witness statement. Horizon airline employee, 28-year-old Richard 'Bebo' Russell, stole a plane and took off before crashing into remote Pierce County island 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. 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. 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. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? 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. The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. Like 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. 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. (DAILY NEWS VIDEO) . 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. Win Your Trip to Our 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards! Each Thursday Ticket Takeover we giveaway prizes all day for different concerts, events, and more! He was immediately killed. Im coming home! But it was not to be. 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. 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. Moore stole (or stole and crashed) multiple airplanes, multiple boats, dozens of cars, etc. Richard Russell Plane Crash Video From Seattle | Heavy.com 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. Neither the men nor the plane has ever been seen again. F-15s were scrambled out of their base at Portland International Airport to intercept the plane. . 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. 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. One sketch that he posted included a drawing of a Q400 plane, the same kind of plane involved in Friday's crash. 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. "I lift a lot of bags. Ah, dammit. I don't want to. Other pilots and SeaTac's tower exchange information about Mr Russell as they quickly realise that something unusual is going on. strangest, scariest, most bizarre events of 2018. Photos show first responders that night sleeping outside on the ground. "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. Discovery Company. Minimum wage, we'll chalk it up to that. "Seattle Ground, Horizon Guy. In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt that says "The Sky's No Limit." "There is a protocol to not allow anyone singularly to get onboard an aircraft," Soucie said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "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. "Nah, I mean, I don't need that much help. ", "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. 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. "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. 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. He was immediately killed. 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. New video of 2018 Horizon Air plane heist at Sea-Tac | king5.com At one point, he apologizes and says he is a "broken guy" with "a few screws loose. The man has been identified as Richard Russell, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation confirmed to CNN on Saturday night. New Video Shows Man Stealing Horizon Air Plane In 2018 Incident He complimented the controller: "You are very calm, collect, poised," he said. Richard Russell said he didn't need much help: 'I've played some video ", First published on August 13, 2018 / 5:34 AM. "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. It was a strange day when Horizon Airlines Employee Richard "Beebo" Russell stole a plane in the middle of his working shift. "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. Having to rely on the ferry system for transport, the first 40 responding firefighters stayed at the scene throughout the night. I don't know, man! He later stole the plane and eventually crashed it into an island in Puget Sound. 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. 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. 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. New footage shows airport worker Richard Russell steal plane 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. That includes both domestic and international flights. The fuselage was fragmented and appeared to be upside down, said Debra Eckrote, regional chief for the National Transportation Safety Board. Man who took Horizon Air plane from Sea-Tac Airport was quiet, well Mr Russell's aerial joyride ultimately ended in a fiery crash on a remote island in Puget Sound. His family says it's clear he didn't mean to harm anyone. Its not yet known exactly what pre-existing psychological conditions Russell may have had, but in the course of his conversation with air traffic controllers he expresses racial resentment. Weve got the Weekend Ticket Takeover! The incident, which the FBI's Seattle office did not consider terrorism, raises questions about airport security. His responsibilities included towing and pushing aircraft for takeoff and gate approach, de-icing them, and handling baggage. He did not survive the crash. We may earn a commission from links on this page. Join the Celebration of a Lifetime! He eventually climbs inside the cockpit and fires up the engine. An FBI investigation found Alaska Airlines ramp employee Richard Russell intentionally crashed the aircraft after flying for more than an hour. "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. He had no purpose to be at that plane Friday evening "other than what he did do," Tilden said. "Never really knew it till now," he said. He left prison after less than 5 years, on parole. [deleted] 5 yr. ago. 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. 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. Russell had no piloting experience, but he managed . While searching the crash site, investigators also located human remains among the aircraft materials. Also see | 'I was blown away': Stepbrother of man who stole plane speaks out. New video shows crash site of stolen plane. "Everyone was literally frozen in place, muttering about what possibly happened," he said. Russell echoed those claims in his last conversation with air traffic control. Family of man who stole, crashed plane 'stunned' - KJRH 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 . Meyer had recently been passed over for promotion and had been arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct. He was right in saying that there are so many people who have loved him.". 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. Richard "Beebo" Russell, the Horizon Air employee who stole a plane from Sea-Tac Airport on Friday night, performed midair acrobatics over Puget Sound and then crashed into an island, was an. What happened from then, left a.

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.

. The incident is bizarre and tragic, but it is not unprecedented. Richard Russell plane crash video from Sea-Tac | wltx.com 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. July 4, 1986. 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. It's Troublingly Common for Ground Crew Members To Steal Planes 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. (AFP/Getty Images) Russell, 29, flew the plane for 75 . "Russell had a few unexcused absences, but nothing considered significant.". The 76-seat Horizon Air turboprop plane took off without authorization at 7:32 p.m. local time Friday, with Russell, who was not a pilot, at the controls, officials said. The sheriff's department described Russell as suicidal. It was empty, parked at a Seattle-Tacoma International Airport cargo and . New surveillance. It did not elaborate. Domestic Flights, Airplane Door Rips Open Midflight on Russian Plane, Airport Worker Ingested Into Jet Engine, Dies, The Concorde Disaster, Battle Tanks, and More. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his travels. 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. The King County medical examiner ruled his death a suicide. 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. 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. Witnesses described the surreal scene after the plane left the airport. In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Hell of a crime spree for a 19 year old. That includes both domestic and international flights. Music from Green Day, Michael Jackson, Queen, Billy Joel, Tom Petty, Madonna, Pearl Jam, Fleetwood Mac, and more! John Waldron was walking along a trail near the bay when he noticed the two military jets following a plane doing aerobatics. "Tower, you need to call and scramble now," one Alaska Air pilot called out. "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. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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. 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 in the air, Meyer, whod been married eight weeks before, called his wife and said, Guess what? 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. 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. 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,. He flew until the plane ran out of fuel and died in the ensuing crash. He passed a series of background checks to gain his position, as he didn't have any criminal convictions. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. "We are devastated by these events, and Jesus is truly the only one holding this family together right now. 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. 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 . President Donald Trump was briefed on the incident and is monitoring the situation, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Saturday morning. Chilling CCTV footage shows Richard Russell stealing plane - HITC Padilla and an a recently hired assistant boarded the plane, taxied it to the runway, took off, and head out over the Atlantic Ocean. 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. The incident came about when a 29-year-old man stole an aircraft from Seattle-Tacoma International airport in August 2018. How was a man able to steal and pilot a plane? Russell repeatedly says he would do a roll. I've played some video games before, he said. In a statement, the family says Richard Russell, whose nickname was "Beebo," was warm, kind and gentle. Russell's family said in a statement that they were stunned and heartbroken. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 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. He is the author of The Plane That Wasn't There: Why We Haven't Found MH370. Also see | Cockpit audio from worker who stole empty plane from Sea-Tac Airport. Family and friends try to reconcile Richard Russell's action with the The man could be heard on audio recordings telling air traffic controllers that he is "just a broken guy." 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. Richard Russell, 29, walks through employee security screening at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. 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. Richard Russell: Authorities don't believe man who stole Dash-8 Q400 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. I feel really bad for Richard and for his family. The cause of the crash wasn't immediately known, but the F-15s did not bring the plane down, Eckrote said. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his various travels. For one, Russell shouldn't have been able to board the plane alone, he said. 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. New Video Shows When Richard Russell Stole a Plane at Sea-Tac - Jalopnik The agency said that, had Mr Russell wanted, he could have recovered from the dive. Russell was credentialed to be in secure areas at the airport, said Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Air Group, which owns Horizon Air. Mr Russell's aerial joyride ultimately ended in a fiery crash on a remote island in Puget Sound.