Never really knew it until now.". I don't know, man! Tragic as Russell's death was, he could have inflicted vastly more damage had he been so inclined. Reeves said he left Horizon because workers are overworked and underpaid. 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. About to take off. I feel really bad for Richard and for his family. SeaTac's tower began asking who was piloting the airplane, which culminated in the first of Mr Russell's exchanges with control that day. It's gonna be crazy," Mr Russel said. Russell went by "Beebo" on social media. 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. The cause of the crash wasn't immediately known, but the F-15s did not bring the plane down, Eckrote said. The man has been identified as Richard Russell, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation confirmed to CNN on Saturday night. 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 What was the richard russell plane crash story all about. "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. 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. strangest, scariest, most bizarre events of 2018. Plus we let you know whats going on locally with Lee Callahans Jacktivities! It was empty, parked at a Seattle-Tacoma International Airport cargo and maintenance area for the night after arriving from Victoria, British Columbia, earlier in the day. and last updated 2018-08-12 08:56:01-04. ", "Well," a controller responds, "we're not going to worry or think about that. A Russian Air Force engineer made off with an Antonov An-26 transport plane from Kubinka Air Force Base near Moscow. "I would like to apologize to each and every one of them. The tower alerted the Portland Air National Guard base, which dispatched a group of US Air Force F-15s to intercept the rouge aircraft. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. But could you start a left-hand turn, please?". 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. 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 dont hesitate to utilize this resource. Now let's land that airplane safely and don't hurt anybody on the ground," the helping pilot radios. (DAILY NEWS VIDEO) . 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. The agency said that, had Mr Russell wanted, he could have recovered from the dive. He also told the controller he "wasn't really planning on landing" the aircraft, and he described himself as "just a broken guy.". 7 months ago. Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess. On the other hand, Russell was reported to have been profoundly troubled, whereas Malaysian authorities were unable to find any evidence that Shah suffered from mental illness or was undergoing any kind of stress in his life. 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. "Tower, you need to call and scramble now," one Alaska Air pilot called out. The plane had been parked in a maintenance area and was not scheduled for a passenger flight, Tilden said. 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. 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. 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. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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? 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. 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. That's just not safe.". One sketch that he posted included a drawing of a Q400 plane, the same kind of plane involved in Friday's crash. 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. After Russell performed an unauthorized takeoff, two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighters were scrambled to intercept the aircraft. The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Sunday that Russell had died in the fiery wreckage, but whether the crash was deliberate or accidental was one of several topics remaining for investigators. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. August 13, 2018 / 5:34 AM 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 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. New surveillance. Ah, dammit. Hell of a crime spree for a 19 year old. Mr Russell's aerial joyride ultimately ended in a fiery crash on a remote island in Puget Sound. It evens out in the end.". 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. 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. The footage shows him going through security wearing a T-shirt. Other pilots and SeaTac's tower exchange information about Mr Russell as they quickly realise that something unusual is going on. I hope they can make it through this.". 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. Also see | 'I was blown away': Stepbrother of man who stole plane speaks out. 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. 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. He later stole the plane and eventually crashed it into an island in Puget Sound. Cooper? That includes both domestic and international flights. 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. In a final video project set to cheery music, Russell included selfies from airport grounds and photos from his many trips. Russell had no piloting experience, but he managed . We may earn a commission from links on this page. Authorities sent fighter jets to escort him, and the controller repeatedly tried to direct him to runways. 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. Richard Russell, 29, walks through employee security screening at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. 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. 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, FBI probes how airline employee stole plane, FBI investigating how airline employee stole plane before crashing, New details emerge about employee who stole, crashed airplane, NTSB to investigate in-flight turbulence that left 1 passenger dead, Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, someone can simply take a passenger plane from a major U.S. airport without authorization, push us to learn what we can from this tragedy. 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 By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Moore stole (or stole and crashed) multiple airplanes, multiple boats, dozens of cars, etc. "So, (he) had some knowledge but clearly wasn't a commercial pilot.". In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his travels. They say says this is a complete shock. It did not elaborate. Video from Friday showed the Horizon Air Q400 doing large loops and other dangerous maneuvers as the sun set on the Puget Sound. He was right in saying that there are so many people who have loved him.". Like a lot of bags. An FBI investigation found Alaska Airlines ramp employee Richard Russell intentionally crashed the aircraft after flying for more than an hour. He is the author of The Plane That Wasn't There: Why We Haven't Found MH370. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The jets were not involved in the crash, it 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 . 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. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Neither the men nor the plane has ever been seen again. "Congratulations. While in the air, Meyer, whod been married eight weeks before, called his wife and said, Guess what? Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. Jeff Wise is a New York-based science journalist specializing in aviation and psychology. The incident is bizarre and tragic, but it is not unprecedented. New video shows crash site of stolen plane. I don't know! appreciated. FBI released more information about Russell and the incident earlier this year, including witness statements from family, friends, and co-workers.