Facebook/YouTube Mourners gathered in the comments section of his YouTube video. The FBI is investigating the stunning heist, which has raised concerns about the security of commercial aircraft and mental health issues among airline workers nearly 17 years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Would love your thoughts, please comment. steal a Horizon Air Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 airliner. Before takeoff, the pilot explains someone stole an airplane, and is flying around near Mt. At one point in the dramatic audio, Richard Russell told the tower he was losing an engine. In this season of life we enjoy exploring as much as possible, whether its a day (or so) trip to one of Alaska Airlines destinations, or visiting a new area of Washington. The fighter jets were scrambled from Portland. Never really knew it, until now, Richard Russell said at one point. The aircraft had been in maintenance status and was parked in an otherwise-vacant space for work on the plane's, New Footage Shows Moments Before Seattle Man Crashed Plane in 2018, A newly released video sheds new light on the moments leading up to Richard Russell crashing a plane. in. Never really knew it until now. At one point, the controller suggests he might be able to get a job as a pilot after this and Russell replies, "Nah, I'm a white guy." The video was widely circulated online and by major news publications (shown below). At one point, Rich asked for help in getting the cabin depressurized, complaining he was getting lightheaded. A childhood friend remarked that Beebo was loved by everyone because he was kind and gentle to each person he met. Confirmed info .. this is a single suicide male. Hours prior, he posted a message on Facebook that seemed to imply he was going to commit suicide, writing, "Sorry everyone. Everything is shutdown rn pic.twitter.com/AzebdIa3tP, City King (@CityKing_Gank_) September 3, 2022. I dont know how he achieved the experience that he did.. I was born in Key West, Florida, and moved to Wasilla, Alaska when I was 7. [44], In the days after the crash, clean up and recovery crews contracted by Alaska Airlines and their insurers were present on the island to remove debris. On Instagram, Hannah Russell posted recent photos with Rich. Hello, Love. Hannah and Beebo met at a Campus Crusade for Christ gathering at Southwestern Oregon Community College last year, the site reported. Full video form John Waldron on Facebook being shown on CNN #seatac pic.twitter.com/R98bl5uQBr. What have I done? (Video: Elyse Samuels/The Washington Post). Apparently someone stole a plane from SeaTac? According to suicide prevention expert, Dr. Christine Moutier, middle-aged White men account for 70% of deaths from suicide each year. [19] Alaska Air Group CEO Brad Tilden announced on the same day that the airline was coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration, the FBI, and the National Transportation Safety Board, and was "working to find out everything we possibly can about what happened". The man, known as Rich in air traffic control audio and dubbed the sky king on Twitter, broke hearts on social media as people followed the unauthorized flight before it came to a fatal end. The video starts with images of what its like to work as a baggage handler for an airline, sometimes in the rainy weather. [20] They married in 2012. Luke Adams ? We know who he is. Keep the aircraft nice and low, the tower responded to the man at one point, advising him to keep it over the water. He could have envisioned an aerial joyride and return to the ground. I dont need that much help; Ive played some video games before, he told the controllers trying to help him. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt. In the article, Russell described himself as laid back and easy going. Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) August 11, 2018, People posted photos and videos to Twitter of a plume of smoke and possible crash site. Who's Afraid of the Rorschach Inkblot Test? Richard Russell plane crash video was released. I think I might mess something up there too. Wish me luck! Although official accounts other than through live aviation audio were hard to come by at first, many passengers took to social media to report that pilots were telling them a man had stolen a plane. Failing to convince Hannah of Alaskas greatness, we settled on Sumner because of its close proximity to her family., Richard added, I, meanwhile, obtained a job working for Horizon Airlines (partnered with Alaska Airlines) so Im able to fly to Alaska at my leisure. I hope it doesnt ruin your day. Up until then, he had seemed torn between life and death, at least considering the possibility of attempting a landing or ditching the aircraft in the sea. He was a faithful husband, a loving son, and a good friend. I hope they can make it through this. He said that airline employees go through background checks. The plane started moving, but Russell jumped in the plane and took off. Was doing stunts in air or lack of flying skills caused crash into Island. The Sheriffs Department added, Two military F 15 chased plane but was not involved in crash and confirmed, No passengers on plane.. At one point, Rich reported that he threw up all over the cockpit, according to the audio. "[43] Some co-workers said that Russell had probably trained himself to fly using amateur flight simulation software. The federal agencies will lead the investigation. His conversation and tone is very casual. The mans bizarre and ultimately doomed flight pushed fighter planes into action. People expressed an emotional connection with him through postings on social media, T-shirts, and tribute songs. [37] During his communication with air traffic control, Russell made a complaint about wages, stating: "Minimum wage, we'll chalk it up to that. I usually have to work outsidebut it allows me to do some pretty cool things too.. . He was on meth.. I met Hannah in Coos Bay, Oregon in 2010 while we were both going to school, the about me section says. He claimed to have buzzed Mount Rainier. Richard Russell Plane Crash Video From Seattle, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. That means I lift a lot of bags so many bags, he says. The Sky King of Sea-Tac Airport. He played athletics in high school in Wasilla, Alaska. Once I earn my Bachelors in Social Sciences I will either seek a management position where Im at now, or possibly join the military as an officer. Rainier, the Olympic Mountains). He had psychotic depression. "[34], Richard Russell was a Horizon Air ground service agent from Sumner, Washington. On 4chan,[7][8] threads dedicated to Russell were submitted over the next several days, many of which contained photoshops, image macros and fan arts praising the incident and referring to Russell as "Sky King" (shown below). It was worth it, he said, to conveniently travel to Alaska, where he grew up, to visit family. We believe there are no passengers on board. Tower, you need to call and scramble now, one pilot warned, according to the video. Oh, a purple one! Russell exclaimed. SeaTac airport., Morgan Chesky, a reporter for KOMO News, wrote, Per JBLM source: After being contacted by F-15s, stolen plane began to nose dive, crashing in north Pierce County., NTSB investigator Debra Eckrote held a Saturday morning press conference, the day after the crash, and indicated that investigators are trying to determine what his process was and where the aircraft was going. She identified Rich as ground support so, you know, they have access to aircraft, and described it as lucky that the plane crashed on a very underpopulated island.. Others said it was wrong to glorify him for an act that could have killed more people. Nah, I'm a white guy. There is the runway just about a mile off your right side, do you see that? We've received your submission. You seemed like a nice guy and a hell of a natural pilot., Seattle hijackers plane heist, midair stunts and fiery crash expose gaps in aviation security. Russells family released a statement to the news media expressing great shock and remembering Russell for his compassion. Now a family is left to reckon with tragedy, while strangers find grim inspiration in his final act. However, late in the evening of August 10, 2018, tower audio indicated that some planes were being released. We are aware of an incident involving an unauthorized take-off of a Horizon Air Q400. The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. My names Richard Russell, Im 27 and currently living in Sumner, WA with my incredible wife Hannah. They deemed Russell the Sky King inspiring an outpouring of memes in his memorial and a possible copycat this September. Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose I guess. People like me dont do things like that. Russell wrote that he was pursuing his Bachelor of Social Sciences and hoped to work his way up to a management position at Horizon Air or to join the military or law enforcement. Audio released of Russells conversation with an air traffic controller suggests that he was struggling with mental health issues, but his motive for stealing the plane remains unclear. Why did I do it? Human remains were recovered from the site, the FBI said Sunday, and Russell is presumed dead in the crash. Magazines, stole a plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Or create a free account to access more articles, 'Beebo Was Loved By Everyone.' Our first date, he kind of cornered me into it, Hannah Russell said to the site. in correct chronological orderthis took pIace over about 75 minutes. Unclear if passengers are on board. On July 2, 1982, a 33-year-old truck driver named Larry Walters took flight in a patio chair attached to more than 40 helium-filled weather balloons. Its burned quite a bit faster than I expected., He also said, Im gonna land it, in a safe kind of manner. quote: On August 10, 2018, a Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 was stolen from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) in Seattle, Washington. Sea-Tac airport confirmed the plane was down a short time later. The crisis has engulfed the West as a whole. As the voice recording shows, Beebos intent was not to harm anyone and he was right in saying that there are so many people who loved him.. A 2012 article in the World described how Russell met his wife. Wife of Richard Russel, Hannahh Russel documented her seven-year-long marriage to the 29-year-old on Instagram ( Source : co ) "After failing to persuade Hannah of Alaska's awesomeness, we landed on Sumner due to its proximity to her family," he wrote in his blog. PostedSeptember 24, 2018 Will many of us have a better story to tell when we get to wherever were going, one Reddit user saidin a thread. I suspect that most of the time they want to hear some kind of post-mortem diagnosis: He was a paranoid schizophrenic. Some dude stole a plane from #Seatac (Allegedly), did a loop-the-loop, ALMOST crashed into #ChambersBay, then crossed in front of our party, chased by fighter jets and subsequently crashed. I dont need that much help; Ive played some video games before, he told the controllers trying to help him. It is impossible to encompass who he was in a press release. For Richard Russell. "Sky King" is a nickname given to 29-year-old ground service operator Richard Russell after he stole a Horizon Air Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 airliner from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) and died after crashing on Ketron Island in Puget Sound. Oh- theyve probably got anti-aircraftnot quite ready to bring it down just yet. TikTok Influencers Son Murdered at Gas Station. [5], On September 3rd, 2022, it was reported that a 10-year Tupelo Aviation employee, Cory Wayne Patterson, stole a twin-engine plane from the Tupelo Regional Airport. On his blog, Richard talks about how he and his wife once ran a bakery. Get the help you need from a therapist near youa FREE service from Psychology Today. Russell told controllers midflight that he played video games in preparation, but it was not clear whether he meant flight simulators some of which are commercially available and depict exhaustive and realistic measures to start an aircraft. Compilation of footage of the aircraft being flown erratically in the vicinity of Seattle, and the pursuing F-15s, News report featuring surveillance footage, Man Steals a Passenger Plane and Crashes it Just After Takeoff (With Real Video), Washington State University Global Campus, "National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Preliminary Report Accident Number: WPR18FA220", "Update on Investigation into Unauthorized Flight", "Alaska Air Horizon plane crashes after being stolen by airline employee", "How it unfolded: Full coverage of the Horizon Air crash and the man who stole the plane from Sea-Tac", "Stolen plane was chased by military jets before it crashed", "Crash: Horizon DH8D at Ketron Island on Aug 10th 2018, stolen aircraft crashed into forest", "Stolen plane closes Seattle-Tacoma airport before crashing", "Oregon F-15s Scramble To Seattle To Intercept Possibly Stolen Q400 Airliner (Updated)", "F-15Cs Intercept Stolen DASH-8 Airliner out of Seattle Tacoma Airport Before Crash", "LIVE: Plane stolen from Sea-Tac Airport crashes on small island; no passengers on board", "Pilot wanted to do aerobatics, apologized for his actions as he spoke with air traffic control", "NORAD F-15Cs intercept suicidal pilot in dramatic chase near Seattle", "Passenger Plane Stolen by Employee Crashes on Island Near Seattle Airport", "Seattle hijacker's plane heist, midair stunts and fiery crash expose gaps in aviation security", "Richard Russell, 'Rich': 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know", "Airline worker who stole plane told air traffic control 'I don't want to hurt no one', "SeaTac Hijacker Had the Skills to Take Out a Skyscraper Horizon Air ground handler Richard Russell knew how to fly without tearing the plane apartand enough fuel to be a flying bomb.