We may earn a commission from links on this page. "The greatest threat we have to aviation is the insider threat," said Erroll Southers, a former FBI agent and transportation security expert. He left prison after less than 5 years, on parole. 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. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his travels. 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. 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. 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. Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Ultimately the FBI determined that Mr Russell intentionally brought the airplane into a dive onto a small island in Puget Sound, where he died. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. 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. Other pilots and SeaTac's tower exchange information about Mr Russell as they quickly realise that something unusual is going on. 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 . ", First published on August 13, 2018 / 5:34 AM. Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. Tragic as Russell's death was, he could have inflicted vastly more damage had he been so inclined. F-15s were scrambled out of their base at Portland International Airport to intercept the plane. Richard Russell, 29, can be seen at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport driving a pushback tractor with an Alaska Air turboprop attached. First published on August 11, 2018 / 4:48 PM. 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? The man could be heard on audio recordings telling air traffic controllers that he is "just a broken guy." A Russian Air Force engineer made off with an Antonov An-26 transport plane from Kubinka Air Force Base near Moscow. Mr Russell's aerial joyride ultimately ended in a fiery crash on a remote island in Puget Sound. 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 7 months ago. Russell was credentialed to be in secure areas at the airport, said Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Air Group, which owns Horizon Air. 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. "Oh man. 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. 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. 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. among other things. That includes both domestic and international flights. That includes both domestic and international flights. "He was a quiet guy," Rick Christenson, an operational supervisor with the airline who retired in Maytold The Seattle Times. In fact, there have been a number of occurrences in recent decades in which ground personnel made off with aircraft. I feel really bad for Richard and for his family. 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. "It seemed like he was well liked by the other workers. 2. Even with this new footage at hand, its hard to figure out what made Russell embark on this brazen, fatal adventure. NORAD scrambled two F-15 to try to shepherd Russell away from populated areas of Seattle, but at 8:46 PM, Russell crashed the plane into an uninhabited part of Ketron Island in Puget Sound. His family says it's clear he didn't mean to harm anyone. 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. "It's going to disappoint them to hear that I did thisJust a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess.". 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. The incident is bizarre and tragic, but it is not unprecedented. An hour and 45 minutes into the flight, Meyer crashed into the English Channel. I don't know! 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. Win Tickets to KISS at Climate Pledge Arena on November 6, 2023. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. 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 statement said Russell, 29, was "a faithful husband, a loving son and a good friend. Scroll down to continue . 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. 2023 Cable News Network. "I thought they were practicing for an air show," he said. There were no passengers aboard. . Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. He was right in saying that there are so many people who have loved him.". 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. I was kinda hoping that was going to be it. 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. "Russell had a few unexcused absences, but nothing considered significant.". Lee Callahan in the morning, and the No Repeat Workday while you work! He was killed in the crash. Please enter valid email address to continue. Russell had no piloting experience, but he managed . Russell, 29 is presumed dead. (AFP/Getty Images) Russell, 29, flew the plane for 75 . He is the author of The Plane That Wasn't There: Why We Haven't Found MH370. I mean, I would hope it is, for a guy like me. CNN's Kyung Lah 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. 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. It was empty, parked at a Seattle-Tacoma International Airport cargo and . The NTSB is now processing the equipment. Enter for your chance to win a visit to the Disneyland Resort with 96.5 JACK FM! F-15 "pilots kept plane out of harms way and people on ground safe," the sheriff's office tweeted. video Plane crashes near Seattle airport. The incident came about when a 29-year-old man stole an aircraft from Seattle-Tacoma International airport in August 2018. 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. Besides his other duties, he was qualified to tow aircraft, said Gary Beck, Horizon Air's president and chief executive officer. On board was 29-year-old Richard Russell, a baggage handler for Horizon Air who is also flying the plane for unknown reason. He said flying was a "blast" and that he didn't need much help: "I've played some video games before.". About to take off. 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. With its premium plus plan, youll be able to browse flight deals going for up to 90% off in business, premium economy, and economy class. An air traffic controller called him "Rich," and tried to convince him to land the airplane. The tower alerted the Portland Air National Guard base, which dispatched a group of US Air Force F-15s to intercept the rouge aircraft. The plane was a Bombardier Q400, a turboprop that seats 76 people, owned by Horizon Air, part of Alaska Airlines. Video from Friday showed the Horizon Air Q400 doing large loops and other dangerous maneuvers as the sun set on the Puget Sound. and last updated 2018-08-12 08:56:01-04. 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. 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. While in the air, Meyer, whod been married eight weeks before, called his wife and said, Guess what? "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. 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. The reason I left is in February of 2016 they were short staffed and they had me run three planes in the same time, Reeves said. The jets were not involved in the crash, it said. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. A curious and ultimately tragic story from 2018 finally has a little more context, thanks to security camera footage. 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. Join the Celebration of a Lifetime! 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. Relatives of Richard Russell say they are "stunned and heartbroken" after the airline worker stole a passenger plane Friday from the Seattle-Tacoma . For one, Russell shouldn't have been able to board the plane alone, he said. All rights reserved. John Waldron was walking along a trail near the bay when he noticed the two military jets following a plane doing aerobatics. 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 FBI has recovered the flight data recorder and components of the cockpit voice recorder from the Horizon aircraft that crashed onto Ketron Island Friday night. They said it's not clear whether he had ever taken flight lessons or used flight simulators, or where he gained the skills to take off. "My husband and I are recently former Boeing employees, and we were wondering why a jet was near the passenger airplane," she said. Alaska Airlines flight 261 took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on the morning of August 10, 2018. 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 did that. 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. 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,. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. "Russell was known as a quiet guy who read a lot," according to one witness statement. 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. 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. Ah, dammit. 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. Russell, a 3-1/2-year Horizon employee, worked as a ground service agent. 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. In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt. "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. Win Tickets to Weezer with Spoon and White Reaper at White River Amphitheater on August 20th! Weve got the Weekend Ticket Takeover! Jeff Wise is a New York-based science journalist specializing in aviation and psychology. Aug. 12, 2018. "We are devastated by these events, and Jesus is truly the only one holding this family together right now. 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. 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. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. 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. "I lift a lot of bags. 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. "A couple of the turns, it looked like what we call in basic flight training a 'coordinated turn,' meaning that he not only used the yoke but you also coordinate with the rudders and you do the turns. Earlier in the flight, Russell says: "This is probably, like, jail time for life, huh? ", Referring to audio recordings of Russell talking to air traffic control during his hour-long flight, the statement said his "intent was not to harm anyone. He was immediately killed. ", "Well," a controller responds, "we're not going to worry or think about that. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. .css-v1xtj3{display:block;font-family:FreightSansW01,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:100;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-v1xtj3:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-v1xtj3{font-size:1.1387rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-v1xtj3{line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-v1xtj3{font-size:1.18581rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.5rem;margin-top:0rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-v1xtj3{font-size:1.23488rem;line-height:1.2;margin-top:0.9375rem;}}A 777 Nearly Plunged Into the Ocean After Takeoff, Sudden FAA Failure Grounds U.S.