The family of a man who authorities saystole an airplane from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and later crashed it called him a faithful husband, loving son and good friend. Having to rely on the ferry system for transport, the first 40 responding firefighters stayed at the scene throughout the night. Chilling CCTV footage shows Richard Russell stealing plane - HITC He is the author of The Plane That Wasn't There: Why We Haven't Found MH370. "Our hearts are with the families of the individual aboard as well as all of our Alaska Air and Horizon Air employees," said Constance von Muehlen, the airline's chief operating officer. His responsibilities included towing and pushing aircraft for takeoff and gate approach, de-icing them, and handling baggage. I've played some video games before, he said. 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. After the plane approached Ketron Island, Waldron saw a thick column of smoke followed by a loud explosion, he said. August 11, 2018 / 11:29 PM 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 . Join the Celebration of a Lifetime! "He was getting really stressed about the financial situation he was in. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Lastly, we've been reporting a lot only on the most famous case of suspected pilot suicide, Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, and this weekend's tragedy bears at least a few similarities. 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. He was immediately killed. He managed to proceed with his plan unmolested largely because no one thought twice about the baggage handler working in the airport's restricted spaces. 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. ", "Well," a controller responds, "we're not going to worry or think about that. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Chilling CCTV footage shows Richard Russell stealing plane before fatal Russell took the Q400 from a cargo area at the north end of Sea-Tac Airport on August 10. SEATTLE -- He cracked jokes, complimented the professional demeanor of an air traffic controller and apologized for making a fuss. Horizon airline employee, 28-year-old Richard 'Bebo' Russell, stole a plane and took off before crashing into remote Pierce County island It was a strange day when Horizon Airlines Employee Richard "Beebo" Russell stole a plane in the middle of his working shift. An air traffic controller called him "Rich," and tried to convince him to land the airplane. "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.". Investigators on Saturday were trying to retrieve the plane's flight data recorder and its cockpit voice recorder. 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. 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. Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. Video from 2018 shows final moments of Sea-Tac Airport worker - KOMO "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. No one noticed the plane had disappeared until Mr Russell was in the air. Besides his other duties, he was qualified to tow aircraft, said Gary Beck, Horizon Air's president and chief executive officer. 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 Richard Russell, 'Rich': 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know 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. The Sky Thief Richard Russell Plane Crash Video Gone Viral: What What happened from then, left a. The cause of the crash wasn't immediately known, but the F-15s did not bring the plane down, Eckrote said. Plus we let you know whats going on locally with Lee Callahans Jacktivities! 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. Witnesses described the surreal scene after the plane left the airport. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. So many bags," he said. Could 3 Particles on a Tie Lead Us to D.B. among other things. "It seemed like he was well liked by the other workers. I don't know! 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. The incident came about when a 29-year-old man stole an aircraft from Seattle-Tacoma International airport in August 2018. 2023 Cable News Network. 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. Alaska Airlines flight 261 took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on the morning of August 10, 2018. 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. He passed a series of background checks to gain his position, as he didn't have any criminal convictions. Russell responds: "Awwww-right. Remains of airline worker who stole, crashed plane found on island in 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. 7 months ago. Richard Russell Posted a Video on YouTube About Being a Baggage Handler Play VideoVideo related to richard russell, 'rich': 5 fast facts you need to know 2018-08-11T15:04:15-04:00 In a. CNN's Kyung Lah reports. All Rights Reserved. I mean, I would hope it is, for a guy like me. Jeff Wise is a New York-based science journalist specializing in aviation and psychology. Did you encounter any technical issues? 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. I don't need that much help. 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. Other pilots and SeaTac's tower exchange information about Mr Russell as they quickly realise that something unusual is going on. 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? I hope they can make it through this.". Mr Russell's aerial joyride ultimately ended in a fiery crash on a remote island in Puget Sound. "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. 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? 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. 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. Richard Russell, 29, can be seen at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport driving a pushback tractor with an Alaska Air turboprop attached. President Donald Trump was briefed on the incident and is monitoring the situation, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Saturday morning. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 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. At one point, he apologizes and says he is a "broken guy" with "a few screws loose. He did not survive the crash. he joked. ", The statement said Russell, 29, was "a faithful husband, a loving son and a good friend. "This is a complete shock to us," the family said in a statement Saturday night.