He spoke of wanting to do "a couple maneuvers to see what it [the aircraft] can do", and requested the coordinates of an orca that had been brought to national attention, saying, "I want to go see that guy." Russell was well-liked by his co-workers, according to The Seattle Times. My names Richard Russell, Im 27 and currently living in Sumner, WA with my incredible wife Hannah. #SeaTac @king5 #ketron #dupont #andersonisland pic.twitter.com/78LC5PXKhU, Katreichel (@Katreichelart) August 11, 2018, The Sheriffs Department also wrote: Told F 15s made it within a few minutes of theft of plane. Wish me luck! At one point during the exchange, Russell said he knew how to put the landing gear down but that I really wasnt planning on landing it. Russel also told the controller that he was just a broken man.. The incident aircraft was a Bombardier Q400, owned by Horizon Air (and operating for Alaska Airlines) with the registration N449QX[2][3][4] and serial number 4410. Then he took an Alaska Airlines plane. The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. I met Hannah in Coos Bay, Oregon in 2010 while we were both going to school, the about me section says. Privacy, Richard Russell Who Stole Plane Near Seattle Raises Troubling Security Questions, Richard Russell Details emerge of a compassionate man after Seattle plane heist and fiery crash, Richard Russell pilot of stolen Horizon Air plane had lighthearted tone before deadly crash, Pilot arrested after threatening to crash plane into Mississippi Walmart and eventually landing in a field, police say, Pilot threatening to crash hijacked plane into Walmart in Tupelo, Mississippi. We love you bud. Alaska Air Group CEO Brad Tilden said at a news conference Saturday that Russell worked for Horizon Air for four years and was on the clock and in uniform when he stole the twin-engine turboprop plane, which was parked in a cargo lot at the time. Beebos intent was not to harm anyone, and he was right in saying that there are so many people who loved him, Mathews said. To download the mp3, right-click here and choose "save link as" or "save target as." Around 9 PM Pacific Time on August 10th, 2018, a 29-year-old man named Richard Russell, stole a Q400 airplane from Seattle Tacoma International Airport and went for a joyride [] Oh- theyve probably got anti-aircraftnot quite ready to bring it down just yet. If he was bipolar and did that, then I dont have to worry about doing that, because Im not bipolar. That is something that they do. They are grounding all planes and waiting. He could have envisioned an aerial joyride and return to the ground. Im going to disappoint them to hear that I did this. Richard Russell, AKA Rich, the man who took the Sea-Tac plane and crashed it. To the consternation of friends gathered to witness the launch, he quickly ascended out of sight and climbed to an altitude of 16,000 feet. [20] A veteran pilot said the maneuver "seemed pretty well executed, without either stalling or pulling the wings off. 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. Authorities described him as suicidal.. He has buzzed Mt Rainer and the Seattle area. [29] An operational supervisor for Horizon Air described Russell as "a quiet guy" who was "well liked by the other workers". No one else is thought to have been injured or killed, and the fighter jets did not fire on him, authorities said. Yeah I dont know what the burnageis like on a takeoff but yeah. I met my husband when a friend sent him over to my house to cure my hiccoughs. We had a ground stop for quite a while here, a dispatcher says. The video starts with images of what its like to work as a baggage handler for an airline, sometimes in the rainy weather. After 29-year-old airline employee Richard B. Russell stole a plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Friday night and crashed it into Ketron Island in Puget Sound, questions remain about why and how he undertook the ultimately fatal flight. I hope they can make it through this. He said that airline employees go through background checks. Russell had no formal training as a pilot and did not have his pilots license. At another point, he says he's going to try to "do a barrel roll." Hannah and Beebo met at a Campus Crusade for Christ gathering at Southwestern Oregon Community College last year, the site reported. Hannah and Beebo met at a Campus Crusade for Christ gathering at Southwestern Oregon Community College last year, the site reported. Apparently someone stole a plane from SeaTac? All Rights Reserved. [37], Horizon Air CEO Gary Beck stated that, as far as the company knew, Russell did not have a pilot's license. You couldnt even tell it was a plane except for some of the bigger sections, like the wing section, western Pacific region chief Debra Eckrote said. Its not clear whether Russell, 29, had ever really flown a plane before. He did a barrel roll in a stolen plane and went out in a blaze of glory. He hoped perhaps to commission in the military after graduation. [20], Russell's family released a statement on August 11, stating they were "stunned and heartbroken" and "devastated by the events". How Psychologically Conditioned Rats Are Defusing Landmines, The Innate Intelligence Observed in the Dying Process, 6 Signs That Youre Depressed and Ignoring It. ATC said, "they would give you a job doing anything if you could pull this off", to which he replied, "Yeah right! He was married and completing a bachelors degree. I dont want to hurt no one. We are devastated by these events and Jesus is truly the only one holding this family together right now. Apparently someone stole a Horizon Q and is flying it over SeaTac. Nine-tenths of them are from a lower socioeconomic class. Richard Russell was a suicidal airport ground services worker who stole an airplane from Sea-Tac . After five hours, he arrived in a tow vehicle near the plane. Lee Goldberg. He worked at the airline for more than three years, authorities said. Plane is a Q4. He did it because he was depressed. As David Hume observed, our brains habitually seek out causation and are restless until a cause, even an erroneous cause, is determined. Patterson did not end up flying the plane into Walmart, instead landing it in a nearby field where he was arrested. "[22], The two F-15s attempted to direct the aircraft toward the Pacific Ocean, and did not fire at it. Sadly, he did not survive much longer at all. On Instagram, Hannah Russell posted recent photos with Rich. Everything is shutdown rn pic.twitter.com/AzebdIa3tP, City King (@CityKing_Gank_) September 3, 2022. On September 3rd, CNN reported that an airport worker named Cory Wayne Patterson had stolen a twin-engine plane from Tupelo Aviation and was threatening to crash it into a Mississippi Walmart. Hey, I found myself in a predicament. I dont know how he achieved the experience that he did.. The Port of Seattle released the video. "Got a few screws loose, I guess. Memes about Sky King spread across the internet after the incident. 0:00. It is impossible to encompass who he was in a press release. He was manic-depressive. He was a faithful husband, a loving son, and a good friend. About. [37] During his communication with air traffic control, Russell made a complaint about wages, stating: "Minimum wage, we'll chalk it up to that. Heres hoping that the next Rich crashes on a couch of a good listener. He doesnt sound confident in his ability to land back at SeaTac. [46][47], N449QX, the aircraft involved in the incident, pictured 2 months before the crash. The couple settled in Sumner, Wa., where Russell got a job at Horizon Air, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group, so he could easily fly back to Alaska to see his own family. But as the cockpit recordings and videos of Russells antics spread, and Internet users uncovered his online postings, his final act drew both admirers and detractors. He would have flipped overhead switches and set the propellers of the Bombardier Q400 spinning before he roared away from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. We've received your submission. The family of a man who authorities say stole an airplane from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Friday and died when he later crashed the aircraft said they were . On August 10, 2018, a Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 was stolen from SeattleTacoma International Airport (SeaTac) in Seattle, Washington. Will many of us have a better story to tell when we get to wherever were going, one Reddit user saidin a thread. The equipment was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board for processing. I was born in Key West, Florida, and moved to Wasilla, Alaska when I was 7. Many people online compared the incident to 2018's incident with Richard Russell, calling Patterson "Sky King 2.0" or "Sky King 2. When I heard that Mr. Russells aircraft had gone down, I thought, The poor bastard. And then I thought, How many tens of thousands of people are out there who are just like him?, Larry Walters and Rich Russell were people just like us. Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose I guess. pic.twitter.com/ziBAYv7cgn, Jimmy Thomson (@jwsthomson) August 11, 2018. Never really knew it, until now., While Lawnchair Larry was mostly a figure of fun in our popular culture, many people responded to Rich Russells flight with a level of compassion unfamiliar in our social media age. 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. My names Richard Russell, Im 27 and currently living in Sumner, WA with my incredible wife Hannah. in correct chronological orderthis took pIace over about 75 minutes. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. 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. ?, One woman wrote on Twitter, he has stolen a big Horizon turbo prop. [18] After the incident, Joel Monteith, a pilot for SkyWest Airlines, relayed to an emergency dispatcher that in 2017, he saw Russell and another man "pointing and flipping switches" in the cockpit of a SkyWest aircraft parked at SeaTac Airport. He is flying around the airport, he does not know how to land it. [1][7][8][9] In response, two McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagles of the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Fighter Wing under the command of NORAD[10] were scrambled at around 20:15 local time[11] from Portland Air National Guard Base to intercept it. If you or someone you know may be contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Theyre not as easy to fly as, say, a Cessna 150, Beck said. I hope this prompts a nationwide discussion about mental healthcare overall. After attempting the aircraft took off, two F-15 fighter jets were deployed. Authorities said they did not believe he had a pilots license. Posted Sep 24, 2018. In the coming days, articles about the incident were published in The New York Times,[4] CBS News[6] and The Washington Post. The plane started moving, but Russell jumped in the plane and took off. Damnit Andrew, peoples lives are at stake here, Rich said at one point in the audio, which you can listen to later in this article. Thanks for contacting us. [Im] just a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess. Although he didnt have a pilots license, Russell knew how to work the plane from his experience as an airport employee, the FBI previously said. The plane crashed through several lines of 100-foot trees, the National Transportation Safety Board said, according to CNN. Others saw his opinions on certain topics as based. Holy smokes, Ive got to stop looking at the fuel because its going down quick.. Before he took off, several people at the airport questioned what was going on. He had broken up with his girlfriend of 15 years and was having trouble finding steady work. Updated Nov 30, 2022 at 4:37pm. What now? Audio captured emotional conversations between the man, named as Rich, and air traffic controllers trying to help him land safely. Richard Russell: Details emerge of a compassionate man after Seattle plane heist and fiery crash. 1.6K. He was a quiet and well-liked young man who was active in his church. The day of the incident, a thread on 4chan's /pol/[14] board about the incident gained over 470 posts. Tilden said that air traffic control was immediately aware that Russells take off in the aircraft was an unauthorized departure.. In 1993, Lawnchair Larry Walters was named an At-Risk Survivor in the annual Darwin Awards. Ah, minimum wage. [24] Delayed by the SteilacoomAnderson Island ferry, firefighters from West Pierce Fire and Rescue and other nearby departments arrived on the island about an hour and a half after the crash, where they then contended with the island's thick brush. At another point, Richard Russell said, Im down to 2100; I started at like 30-something.. Pilots kept plane out of harms way and people on ground safe. The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. Russell cites his position at Horizon in his blog as well. Mr. Russell chatted, not too calmly, but coherently, with an air traffic controller during his solo flight. Russell, who worked for Horizon Air, a regional subsidiary of Alaska Airlines, flew the plane for 73 minutes before crashing it into remote Ketron Island, which has fewer than 20 residents. Patterson did not end up flying the plane into Walmart, instead landing in a field where he was arrested. Richard Russell, AKA Rich or Beebo Russell, was named as the airport mechanic who stole a Horizon plane at Sea-Tac and crashed it. A fter 29-year-old airline employee Richard B. Russell stole a plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Friday night and crashed it into Ketron Island in Puget . Around 9 PM Pacific Time on August 10th, a 29-year-old man named Richard Russell, stole a Q400 airplane from Seattle Tacoma International Airport and went for a joyride into the abyss. "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. "[16][19] He added that he "wasn't really planning on landing it. The sketch on Richard Russells WordPress page. [15] He said he was a "broken guy, got a few screws loose I guess. The airline confirmed that an unauthorized take-off occurred. This video is not meant to glamorize suicide. His performance there was a disappointment; he left for Southwestern Oregon Community College, where he met his wife at a Campus Crusade for Christ meeting. For Richard Russell. [14] The transmissions were quickly recorded and posted on social media websites. #seatac., A woman named Robanne Stading wrote on Twitter, #seatac airport is on a ground halt because evidently a mechanic is flying an unauthorized flightseeing trip around the mtns. There wasnt anything particularly wrong with them. On August 10th, 2018, a service agent for Horizon Air named Richard "Beebo" Russell used his position to steal a Horizon Air Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 airliner from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. It was worth it, he said, to conveniently travel to Alaska, where he grew up, to visit family. Literally Media Ltd. Stay tuned., Another indicated, Seatac airspace closed. 1,012 words / 5:32 To listen in a player, click here. And part of his job was to drive the tractor that backed the aircraft into position for takeoff. Happy birthday to the man who keeps me laughing and always improves the view ? she wrote with one in 2017. Subscribe to NBC News: nbcnews.to/SubscribeToNBC Watch more NBC video: bit.ly/MoreNBCNews NBC News Digital is a collection of innovative and powerful news. Saw two fighter jets fly overhead then smoke pic.twitter.com/w0bveGUJQH, McKenna Brown (@mckenna_brown) August 11, 2018, A man named Ben Schaechter wrote on Twitter, Halfway down the runway on Alaska airlines out of Seattle and the pilot slams on the brakes and shares we must go back to the gate. But after that apology, oblivion seemed like the only option left to him. However, late in the evening of August 10, 2018, tower audio indicated that some planes were being released. Britain is in the grip of a male suicide crisis. First, it would provide a simple explanation that makes the incomprehensible seem comprehensible. [27], The Pierce County Sheriff's Office both thanked the public for its accurate information, and acknowledged on August 11 that federal agencies would be leading the investigation, primarily the Seattle office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Rainier, the Olympic Mountains). . Hey all! Rick Christenson, who was previously an operational supervisor with Horizon Air and who watched Russells flight over Puget Sound, described Russell to the Times as a quiet guy. It seemed like he was well-liked by the other workers, Christenson said. An airline employee conducted an unauthorized takeoff without passengers at Sea-Tac; aircraft has crashed in south Puget Sound. You can listen to more archived aviation audio on the incident here, some of which captures the mans voice: READ NEXT: TikTok Influencers Son Murdered at Gas Station. Russell told air traffic controllers that he was a broken guy with a few screws loose, but also that he wanted to avoid injuring innocent people. So I dont know how he achieved the experience that he did.. Someone plucked a bag off a conveyor belt. This dives into the psychology and reason of why he Hi-jacked a plane and . Quite a scary experience. Our first date, he kind of cornered me into it, Hannah Russell said to the site. I would hope it is for a guy like me. People on Twitter who were following the aviation audio reported that the man attempted a barrel roll with the plane at one point. "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. As users on Twitter and 4chan shared and discussed the story and further learned about Russell through the conversations with air traffic control and subsequent articles about his life, they deemed him "Sky King" as a title of respect. [39] He was an avid traveler and attended Washington State University Global Campus, majoring in social science. [15] Near the end of the flight, the aircraft was seen performing a barrel roll over Puget Sound, recovering a mere ten feet (three meters) over the water. According to suicide prevention expert, Dr. Christine Moutier, middle-aged White men account for 70% of deaths from suicide each year. We are aware of an incident involving an unauthorized take-off of a Horizon Air Q400. Russell said on the aviation audio, This is probably jail time for life, huh? Perhaps the least we should do in the wake of such tragedies is to reflect upon the words attributed to Philo of Alexandria: Be kind, for everyone you meet is in the midst of a great struggle.. Family friend Mike Matthews read a statement from Russells family that said the incident was a complete shock to them. Normal operations at Sea-Tac Airport have resumed, the airport wrote. Oh, a purple one! Russell exclaimed. You can listen to more archived aviation audio on the incident here, some of which captures the mans voice: The site Airline Geeks.com reported, Reports saying that two F-15s have intercepted an Alaska Air Q400, operated by Horizon Air., The Twitter page Royal S. King wrote, On a lake in Tacoma and 2 F-15 have intercepted at @AlaskaAir Q400 south of @SeaTacAirport. Another man wrote, @flytruenorth Are you following this story? pic.twitter.com/Ra4LcIhwfU. Its gonna be crazy, he tells traffic control, according to the video provided to local Seattle news outlet KOIN. Live aviation audio from the tower said, at one point, that dispatchers were urging Rich Russell to try to land that airplane safely and not hurt anybody while dealing with a snarl of stalled planes on the ground. They opened a bakery and ran it for three years before selling it in 2015 to be closer to Hannahs family. Weird times. [18] He was active in his church and a leader in the local Christian youth ministry Young Life. He gradually drifted into controlled airspace near Los Angeles International Airport, causing some alarm both to the authorities and to the pilots of at least two commercial jets. But there appears to be no manifesto, no digital trail of warning signs from Russell. Seattle-Tacoma Intl. "[18] He then flew around the area for about an hour, speaking at times with air traffic controllers and apologizing to loved ones for what he was about to do. Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose I guess. [28] It described the perpetrator, identified as 29-year-old Richard Russell,[29][30] as suicidal and said his actions did not constitute a "terrorist incident". Mr. Russell was clearly overwhelmed with the world in which he found himself, a world vandalized, a world stripped of his ancestral . About 1 hour and 15 minutes after takeoff, Russell died by intentionally crashing the aircraft on lightly populated Ketron Island in Puget Sound. I met Hannah in Coos Bay, Oregon in 2010 while we were both going to school, the about me section says. RIP Sky King, a user wrote. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. Now video was released. Unclear if passengers are on board. An airline employee conducted an unauthorized takeoff without passengers at Sea-Tac; aircraft has crashed in south Puget Sound. in. He attended Washington State Global University Campus from 2016-2017, seeking a bachelors degree in social science. Buy "Richard "SkyKing" Russell" by BogTron as a Sticker. RIP Rich. Its burned quite a bit faster than I expected., He also said, Im gonna land it, in a safe kind of manner. Im going to disappoint them to hear that I did this. Cast Your Vote To Select The Meme Of The Month! KINGs Madison Wade reports. Sea-Tac airport confirmed the plane was down a short time later. You can listen to all of his SoundCloud clips here. He then boards an empty 70-seater plane and took off. Russell was active in his local community, serving as a leader at Young Life, a Christian youth ministry. 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. Meanwhile, various tributes to Russell were uploaded to YouTube (shown below). This is not a terrorist incident. Theres something wrong with all of us. Pilot said it was most bizarre thing hed heard in his career. | He was always smiling.. Acted alone he is 29 year old Pierce county residence. [40] He was a hard-hitting football fullback in high school, scoring six touchdowns in his senior year, after which he moved to North Dakota to join the football team at Valley City State University. Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. Richard "Beebo" Russell grew up in Alaska, but moved around and got married before he ended his life in Washington when he stole a passenger airplane and crashed it on a Puget Sound island. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC, Psychology and the Mystery of the "Poisoned" Schoolgirls. Richard Russell, 29, hijacked a 76-seater plane from Seattle-Tacoma on Friday. At one point, he says to the utterly professional air traffic controller, Im sorry about this. It may seem difficult for those watching at home to believe, but Beebo was a warm, compassionate man, the statement read. "Nah, I'm a white guy." In the audio clips, Russell calls himself "broken" and says he knows how to fly a little bit thanks to video games. It is not surprising that I thought of Larry Walters when I first heard about Richard Russell. I was dead set against it. Their business contained a sign that read, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Why did I do it? (shown below). 2:18. He sounds like a broken man who needed help.