CCTV Footage Shows Baggage Handler Stealing Plane, Crashes On Island - TMZ 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. 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.
Richard Russell: Authorities don't believe man who stole Dash-8 Q400 Copyright 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. He's worked at Horizon longer than I did, and he still wasn't making $15 an hour, Reeves said. He flew until the plane ran out of fuel and died in the ensuing crash. "My husband and I are recently former Boeing employees, and we were wondering why a jet was near the passenger airplane," she said. The jets were not involved in the crash, it said.
New Video Shows Man Stealing Horizon Air Plane In 2018 Incident Family of man who stole, crashed plane 'stunned' - KJRH July 13, 1994. 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. Horizon airline employee, 28-year-old Richard 'Bebo' Russell, stole a plane and took off before crashing into remote Pierce County island A ground service agent's tasks don't involve touching planes' controls, CNN aviation analyst Mary Schiavo said. That's just not safe.".
No one noticed the plane had disappeared until Mr Russell was in the air.
Richard Russell, who stole plane from Sea-Tac, acted alone, crashed on Newly released video shows the fiery scene firefighters encountered after an airplane stolen from Sea-Tac Airport crashed on Ketron Island. It evens out in the end.".
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. Others include how, nearly 17 years after the 9/11 attack, someone can simply take a passenger plane from a major U.S. airport without authorization. "I thought they were practicing for an air show," he said. Russell's family said in a statement that they were stunned and heartbroken.
CNN's Kyung Lah reports.. Investigators headed Saturday to the crash site to recover the plane's data recorders and Russell's remains as part of a criminal probe, authorities said. "He was getting really stressed about the financial situation he was in. Ah, dammit.
New footage shows airport worker Richard Russell steal plane 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. First published on August 11, 2018 / 4:48 PM. 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. 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. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. The man has been identified as Richard Russell, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation confirmed to CNN on Saturday night.
", "I've got a lot of people that care about me," the man later said. He left prison after less than 5 years, on parole. Human remains were found in wake of Friday's tragic plane crash. 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. Each Thursday Ticket Takeover we giveaway prizes all day for different concerts, events, and more! "NORAD fighters did not fire upon the aircraft," North American Aerospace Defense Command said Saturday morning in a news release.
Remains of airline worker who stole, crashed plane found on island in Hell of a crime spree for a 19 year old. Russell, who was a ground services employee for Horizon Air, sat in the plane's cockpit for nearly an hour and a half before the unauthorized takeoff. 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. While searching the crash site, investigators also located human remains among the aircraft materials. "I always felt bad for the guys and gals who handled luggage. The incident, which the FBI's Seattle office did not consider terrorism, raises questions about airport security. . Even with this new footage at hand, its hard to figure out what made Russell embark on this brazen, fatal adventure. He passed a series of background checks to gain his position, as he didn't have any criminal convictions. All rights reserved. How was a man able to steal and pilot a plane? 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,. I've played some video games before," Russell responds. The plane was a Bombardier Q400, a turboprop that seats 76 people, owned by Horizon Air, part of Alaska Airlines. By Jeff Wise Published: Aug 13, 2018 JASON REDMOND // Getty Images "This is a complete shock to us," the family said in a statement Saturday night. The cause of the crash wasn't immediately known, but the F-15s did not bring the plane down, Eckrote said. Later that day he stole an Alaska Air turboprop aircraft and crashed it into a remote island in Puget Sound. An FBI investigation found Alaska Airlines ramp employee Richard Russell intentionally crashed the aircraft after flying for more than an hour. One sketch that he posted included a drawing of a Q400 plane, the same kind of plane involved in Friday's crash. "He was a quiet guy," Rick Christenson, an operational supervisor with the airline who retired in Maytold The Seattle Times. Like a lot of bags. The agency says the 28-year-old's loved ones hosted an intervention for him, who "seemed fine" besides increased drinking. 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. 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. 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. The sky thief Richard Russell captivated the audience's attention after the Authorities at the Port of Seattle released an airport surveillance video of plane stealing. The tower alerted the Portland Air National Guard base, which dispatched a group of US Air Force F-15s to intercept the rouge aircraft. Maybe that will grease some gears with the higher up, Russell said to air traffic controllers. I hope they can make it through this.". I've played some video games before, he said. Domestic Flights, Airplane Door Rips Open Midflight on Russian Plane, Airport Worker Ingested Into Jet Engine, Dies, The Concorde Disaster, Battle Tanks, and More. The rest of Mr Russell's time in the air was well documented, thanks to his regular contact with SeaTac's tower.
2018 Horizon Air Q400 incident - Wikipedia F-15 "pilots kept plane out of harms way and people on ground safe," the sheriff's office tweeted. "Oh man. The NTSB is now processing the equipment. That includes both domestic and international flights. A Warner Bros. Russell is then seen walking into a restricted area meant for baggage handlers, getting onto a tarmac tow vehicle, and dragging the plane he was set to steal onto the runway. 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 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. The plane eventually crashed on sparsely populated Ketron Island, starting a fire in the woods but injuring no one outside the plane. The sheriff's department described Russell as suicidal. In the days leading up to the theft and subsequent crash, employees and family didn't notice anything wrong with him, investigators wrote in the updated report.
Richard Russell, 'Rich': 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know Did you encounter any technical issues? Richard Russell, 29, walks through employee security screening at Seattle-Tacoma International 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.
Man who took Horizon Air plane from Sea-Tac Airport was quiet, well Video captures Richard Russell doing tricks in stolen Horizon Air plane A Russian Air Force engineer made off with an Antonov An-26 transport plane from Kubinka Air Force Base near Moscow. 2023 Cable News Network. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A 777 Nearly Plunged Into the Ocean After Takeoff, In audio recordings released over the internet, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. Earlier in the flight, Russell says: "This is probably, like, jail time for life, huh? 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. 2023 Cox Media Group. Please enter valid email address to continue. The plane had been parked in a maintenance area and was not scheduled for a passenger flight, Tilden said. "Nah, I mean, I don't need that much help. I feel really bad for Richard and for his family. Aug. 12, 2018. 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.
Richard Russell: quiet, well-liked Seattle airport worker who stole a plane An FBI investigation found Alaska Airlines ramp employee Richard Russell intentionally crashed the aircraft after flying for more than an hour. The Associated Press contributed to this report. After proceeding through the pre-flight checklist and moving the pushback tractor, Mr Russell began rolling the plane toward a runway. The incident came about when a 29-year-old man stole an aircraft from Seattle-Tacoma International airport in August 2018. Investigators on Saturday were trying to retrieve the plane's flight data recorder and its cockpit voice recorder. That includes both domestic and international flights. Moore stole (or stole and crashed) multiple airplanes, multiple boats, dozens of cars, etc. Because there were no passengers or crew aboard the plane, it wasnt considered a hijacking, and authorities response to the event seems to indicate that nobody ever expected an airport employee to hop in a plane and go for a ride with no apparent intent to terrorize, kill, or even make a greater statement. Having to rely on the ferry system for transport, the first 40 responding firefighters stayed at the scene throughout the night. He first can be seen wandering through security, and is spotted again later on the tarmac. the moments leading up to an airport worker crashing a stolen airplane, FBI released more information about Russell and the incident, employees and family didn't notice anything wrong, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. What happened from then, left a. FBI released more information about Russell and the incident earlier this year, including witness statements from family, friends, and co-workers. strangest, scariest, most bizarre events of 2018. The King County medical examiner ruled his death a suicide. The FBI also said it found human remains among the wreckage. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. His family says it's clear he didn't mean to harm anyone. They pursued the aircraft before it went down on Ketron Island, between Tacoma and Olympia. A curious and ultimately tragic story from 2018 finally has a little more context, thanks to security camera footage. He also told the controller he "wasn't really planning on landing" the aircraft, and he described himself as "just a broken guy.". In fact, there have been a number of occurrences in recent decades in which ground personnel made off with aircraft.
Chilling CCTV footage shows Richard Russell stealing plane - HITC August 22, 1979. In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt that says "The Sky's No Limit." 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. Ultimately the FBI determined that Mr Russell intentionally brought the airplane into a dive onto a small island in Puget Sound, where he died. His responsibilities included towing and pushing aircraft for takeoff and gate approach, de-icing them, and handling baggage. .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. The jets' capability was appropriate to the potential task, one of the sources said, without offering details. ", 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. Russell responds: "Awwww-right.
Richard Russell Stole a Plane in Seattle and Crashed It. How'd He Learn An hour and 45 minutes into the flight, Meyer crashed into the English Channel.
A video made by Richard Russell, the man who just stole a plane. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. SeaTac's tower began asking who was piloting the airplane, which culminated in the first of Mr Russell's exchanges with control that day. 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. Padilla and an a recently hired assistant boarded the plane, taxied it to the runway, took off, and head out over the Atlantic Ocean. 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. Kathleen Reichel said she watched the planes pass by for about two minutes. 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. Reeves said he left Horizon because workers are overworked and underpaid. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. I don't know! 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. 7 months ago. Colton Harris Moore only got 6 years for stealing a plane and crashing it. 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. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his various travels.
New Footage Shows Moments Before Seattle Man Crashed Plane in - YouTube "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.". 2. 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. There were no passengers aboard.
Russell had no piloting experience, but he managed . The plane didn't require a key, but it did require buttons and switches to be activated in a particular order. Other pilots and SeaTac's tower exchange information about Mr Russell as they quickly realise that something unusual is going on.
Richard Russell said he didn't need much help: 'I've played some video "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. Later, a controller discusses getting a pilot on the radio to help Russell control the aircraft. "Never really knew it till now," he said. For one, Russell shouldn't have been able to board the plane alone, he said. (DAILY NEWS VIDEO) . 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. ", The statement said Russell, 29, was "a faithful husband, a loving son and a good friend. Video from Friday showed the Horizon Air Q400 doing large loops and other dangerous maneuvers as the sun set on the Puget Sound.
The Sky Thief Richard Russell Plane Crash Video Gone Viral: What Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters.