Remains of airline worker who stole, crashed plane found on island in Photos show first responders that night sleeping outside on the ground. 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. 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. 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,. Richard Russell, pilot of stolen Horizon Air plane, had lighthearted Richard Russell, 'Rich': 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know 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. ", "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 incident, which the FBI's Seattle office did not consider terrorism, raises questions about airport security. Not long before the crash, a pilot who'd been helping controllers advise Russell appears to mention the maneuver. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his travels. and last updated 2018-08-12 08:56:01-04. "It seemed like he was well liked by the other workers. (AFP/Getty Images) Russell, 29, flew the plane for 75 . 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. "I lift a lot of bags. / CBS/AP. Kathleen Reichel said she watched the planes pass by for about two minutes. Without communicating to air traffic controllers, he cut off another airplane and then managed to get the plane onto the runway and airborne. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Jeff Wise is a New York-based science journalist specializing in aviation and psychology. He did not survive the crash. Russell's family said in a statement that they were stunned and heartbroken. A Russian Air Force engineer made off with an Antonov An-26 transport plane from Kubinka Air Force Base near Moscow. 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. 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. Also see | 'I was blown away': Stepbrother of man who stole plane speaks out. He passed a series of background checks to gain his position, as he didn't have any criminal convictions. I was kinda hoping that was going to be it. 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 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. appreciated. "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.". among other things. Chilling CCTV footage shows Richard Russell stealing plane - HITC 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. NBC News Digital features NBCNews.com, MSNBC.com, TODAY.com, Nightly News, Meet the Press, Dateline, and the existing apps and digital extensions of these respective properties. It was empty, parked at a Seattle-Tacoma International Airport cargo and . Mr Russell's aerial joyride ultimately ended in a fiery crash on a remote island in Puget Sound. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. He was immediately killed. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his various travels. The jets' capability was appropriate to the potential task, one of the sources said, without offering details. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. His responsibilities included towing and pushing aircraft for takeoff and gate approach, de-icing them, and handling baggage. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. He's worked at Horizon longer than I did, and he still wasn't making $15 an hour, Reeves said. . New video shows crash site of stolen plane | CNN 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. 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. It wasn't immediately clear what training, if any, Russell had in flying planes. Richard Russell said he didn't need much help: 'I've played some video By Jeff Wise Published: Aug 13, 2018 JASON REDMOND // Getty Images Richard Russell: 'Heartbroken' family of Seattle airline employee - CNN The FBI also said it found human remains among the wreckage. Richard Russell, 29, walks through employee security screening at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. CCTV Footage Shows Baggage Handler Stealing Plane, Crashes On Island - TMZ Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Russell was recorded having multiple conversations with air traffic controllers who were trying to talk him into landing. 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. John Waldron was walking along a trail near the bay when he noticed the two military jets following a plane doing aerobatics. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. 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. Discovery Company. The plane had been parked in a maintenance area and was not scheduled for a passenger flight, Tilden said. 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. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. "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. Security footage shows man stealing plane he later crashed into a "I would like to apologize to each and every one of them. 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. His 75-minute flight during the golden twilight took him south and west, toward the Olympic Mountains. 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. 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? I don't want to. That includes both domestic and international flights. 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. Send us an email at investigate@kiro7.com, Multiple western Washington residents indicted in connection to coast-to-coast drug ring, Bank accidentally left unlocked in Fresno, police say, Powerball jackpot winner identified as longtime Boeing employee, Officials: Mother identified as shooter in murder-suicide in Ohio, Court finds Federal Way gun store in contempt of court. Lee Callahan in the morning, and the No Repeat Workday while you work! One sketch that he posted included a drawing of a Q400 plane, the same kind of plane involved in Friday's crash. New Video Shows Man Stealing Horizon Air Plane In 2018 Incident After proceeding through the pre-flight checklist and moving the pushback tractor, Mr Russell began rolling the plane toward a runway. "We are devastated by these events, and Jesus is truly the only one holding this family together right now. 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 worker performed several aerial stunts in the stolen aircraft before ultimately crashing on Ketron Island. The jets were not involved in the crash, it said. While searching the crash site, investigators also located human remains among the aircraft materials. "Tower, you need to call and scramble now," one Alaska Air pilot called out. His family says it's clear he didn't mean to harm anyone. 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? He is the author of The Plane That Wasn't There: Why We Haven't Found MH370. Like a lot of bags. Hell of a crime spree for a 19 year old. Foote served four and a half months in the brig and later went on to become a test pilot in civilian life. 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Other pilots and SeaTac's tower exchange information about Mr Russell as they quickly realise that something unusual is going on. New footage shows airport worker Richard Russell steal plane In fact, there have been a number of occurrences in recent decades in which ground personnel made off with aircraft. "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. A Warner Bros. On board was 29-year-old Richard Russell, a baggage handler for Horizon Air who is also flying the plane for unknown reason. There were no passengers aboard. "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. After Russell talked periodically with air traffic controllers for about an hour, the plane crashed at Ketron Island,officials said. Russell, a Horizon Air ground service agent for three and a half years, was the only person aboard the plane, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department said. The sheriff's department described Russell as suicidal. ", 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. An air traffic controller called him "Rich," and tried to convince him to land the airplane. You know?". 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. Please dont hesitate to utilize this resource. Also see | Cockpit audio from worker who stole empty plane from Sea-Tac Airport. KIRO 7 spoke with Russells friend and former co-worker Robert Reeves who said Russell was a hard worker who loved aviation, but he admits Russell was unhappy with his pay. An hour and 45 minutes into the flight, Meyer crashed into the English Channel. As he flew the stolen 76-seat passenger plane above the Seattle area for nearly an hour on Friday night, Richard B. Russell was asked by an air . 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. New surveillance. In a final video project set to cheery music, Russell included selfies from airport grounds and photos from his many trips. SeaTac's tower began asking who was piloting the airplane, which culminated in the first of Mr Russell's exchanges with control that day. How was a man able to steal and pilot a plane? He said flying was a "blast" and that he didn't need much help: "I've played some video games before.". Russell flew the plane for over an hour before crashing. It evens out in the end.". "I lift a lot of bags. Chilling CCTV footage shows Richard Russell stealing plane before fatal CNN's Kyung Lah reports. He was immediately killed. Please enter valid email address to continue. "So, (he) had some knowledge but clearly wasn't a commercial pilot.". He was in the air for about an hour. "It's going to disappoint them to hear that I did thisJust a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess.". It's gonna be crazy," Mr Russel said. 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.
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