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. FBI released more information about Russell and the incident earlier this year, including witness statements from family, friends, and co-workers. The agency said that, had Mr Russell wanted, he could have recovered from the dive. "It seemed like he was well liked by the other workers. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Now let's land that airplane safely and don't hurt anybody on the ground," the helping pilot radios. F-15 fighter jets scrambled to intercept the Q400, which ultimately crashed into Ketron Island, about 30 miles from the airport. On board was 29-year-old Richard Russell, a baggage handler for Horizon Air who is also flying the plane for unknown reason. / CBS/AP. 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 . It's gonna be crazy," Mr Russel said. 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. That includes both domestic and international flights. 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. On Friday, Horizon Air ground service agent .css-3wjtm9{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.125rem;text-decoration-color:#1c6a65;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-3wjtm9:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Richard B. Russell got in one of the airlines Bombardier Q400 aircraft and took off from Seattles SeaTac Airport. 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. Later, a controller discusses getting a pilot on the radio to help Russell control the aircraft. he joked. The Port of Seattle just released the CCTV footage of 29-year-old Richard Russell towing the Alaska Airlines' Q400 Turboprop into position back in 2018 at the Seattle-Tacoma International. 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. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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. "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.". "My husband and I are recently former Boeing employees, and we were wondering why a jet was near the passenger airplane," she said. Did you encounter any technical issues? 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. "Nah, I mean, I don't need that much help. "I thought they were practicing for an air show," he said. 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. 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, Officials say man who stole plane was suicidal. "This is a complete shock to us," the family said in a statement Saturday night. ", First published on August 13, 2018 / 5:34 AM. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. "We are devastated by these events, and Jesus is truly the only one holding this family together right now. During an exchange with air traffic controllers, Russell mentioned he had some experience using flight simulator software. ", "Well," a controller responds, "we're not going to worry or think about that. Alaska Airlines flight 261 took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on the morning of August 10, 2018. Plus we let you know whats going on locally with Lee Callahans Jacktivities! 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. 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. Newly-released videos from the Port of Seattle show the moments leading up to an airport worker crashing a stolen airplane nearly four years ago. 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. 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. Russell was recorded having multiple conversations with air traffic controllers who were trying to talk him into landing. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. "Oh man. Discovery Company. "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.". 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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 he crashed 25 miles away. When Rolling Stone published its article last year, no major regulatory or security changes had been implemented in response to Russells deadly flight. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. 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. 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. By Louis Lucero II and Melissa Gomez. 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 August 11, 2018 / 11:29 PM "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. An FBI investigation found Alaska Airlines ramp employee Richard Russell intentionally crashed the aircraft after flying for more than an hour. Russell had no piloting experience, but he managed . 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. Foote served four and a half months in the brig and later went on to become a test pilot in civilian life. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "NORAD fighters did not fire upon the aircraft," North American Aerospace Defense Command said Saturday morning in a news release. He was immediately killed. 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. In a final video project set to cheery music, Russell included selfies from airport . Author: Elisa Hahn Published: 11/14/2018 5:51:22 PM 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. I've played some video games before, 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! Playing What We Want In Seattle! The footage shows him going through security wearing a T-shirt. 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. 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. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. His family says it's clear he didn't mean to harm anyone. The Associated Press contributed to this report. "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. 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. May 25, 2003. 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. "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 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. Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess. 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. But the plane made turns and aerobatic maneuvers that suggest some skill, she said. Russell took the Q400 from a cargo area at the north end of Sea-Tac Airport on August 10. But the plane slammed into tiny Ketron Island, a sparsely populated island southwest of Tacoma. 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 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. "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. 7 months ago. Horizon's parent company, Alaska Airlines, refused to comment on claims of workers being overworked or underpaid. Cooper? The plane eventually crashed on sparsely populated Ketron Island, starting a fire in the woods but injuring no one outside the plane. About to take off. Winter Weather Advisory expires for much of western Washington, Intertribal comedy sketch troupe performs 'Between Two Knees' at Seattle Rep, plane stolen from Sea-Tac Airport crashed, Stolen plane narrowly missed family inside Ketron Island cabin, released the findings of its investigation, Cockpit audio from worker who stole empty plane from Sea-Tac Airport, 'I was blown away': Stepbrother of man who stole plane speaks out. Officials don't believe Russell had a pilot's license, and they don't know how he knew to fly the plane. An FBI investigation found Alaska Airlines ramp employee Richard Russell intentionally crashed the aircraft after flying for more than an hour. It wasn't immediately clear what training, if any, Russell had in flying planes. Padilla and an a recently hired assistant boarded the plane, taxied it to the runway, took off, and head out over the Atlantic Ocean. A curious and ultimately tragic story from 2018 finally has a little more context, thanks to security camera footage. Investigators on Saturday were trying to retrieve the plane's flight data recorder and its cockpit voice recorder. At one point, he apologizes and says he is a "broken guy" with "a few screws loose. 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 Weezer with Spoon and White Reaper at White River Amphitheater on August 20th! Like a lot of bags. ", "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. You know?". Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his various travels. Ultimately the FBI determined that Mr Russell intentionally brought the airplane into a dive onto a small island in Puget Sound, where he died. Later that day he stole an Alaska Air turboprop aircraft and crashed it into a remote island in Puget Sound. 4.3M views 7 months ago A newly released video sheds new light on the moments leading up to Richard Russell crashing a plane. In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt that says "The Sky's No Limit." He's worked at Horizon longer than I did, and he still wasn't making $15 an hour, Reeves said. "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. 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. Colton Harris Moore only got 6 years for stealing a plane and crashing it. 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. Authorities sent fighter jets to escort him, and the controller repeatedly tried to direct him to runways. 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. The FBI will lead the investigation, said Eckrote, the NTSB regional chief. Tragic as Russell's death was, he could have inflicted vastly more damage had he been so inclined. All Rights Reserved. He was immediately killed. He first can be seen wandering through security, and is spotted again later on the tarmac. He passed a series of background checks to gain his position, as he didn't have any criminal convictions. The man could be heard on audio recordings telling air traffic controllers that he is "just a broken guy." One sketch that he posted included a drawing of a Q400 plane, the same kind of plane involved in Friday's crash. F-15 "pilots kept plane out of harms way and people on ground safe," the sheriff's office tweeted. "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. 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. July 13, 1994. He also told the controller he "wasn't really planning on landing" the aircraft, and he described himself as "just a broken guy.". He flew until the plane ran out of fuel and died in the ensuing crash. A Russian Air Force engineer made off with an Antonov An-26 transport plane from Kubinka Air Force Base near Moscow. By Jeff Wise Published: Aug 13, 2018 JASON REDMOND // Getty Images 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. President Donald Trump was briefed on the incident and is monitoring the situation, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Saturday morning. He eventually climbs inside the cockpit and fires up the engine. 2023 Cable News Network. SEATAC, Wash. - It was a shocking scene above the Puget Sound, as Horizon Airlines employee Richard Russell stole and flew a turboprop from Sea-Tac Airport while air traffic tried to talk him . An hour and 45 minutes into the flight, Meyer crashed into the English Channel. Join the Celebration of a Lifetime! It evens out in the end.". He did not survive the crash. 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. Enter for your chance to win a visit to the Disneyland Resort with 96.5 JACK FM! 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?
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