Two F-15 fighter planes were scrambled to follow Rich, who eventually crashed into a wooded area a little over an hour after takeoff, killing only himself. At one point, he explained that he did not know how to follow instructions to punch in data or how to assess his fuel consumption after takeoff. On social media, Richard Russell used the name Beebo Russell. (If you need help, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.). He sounds just like anyone else would if they suddenly found themselves in a similar situation. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Patient, new father among 5 killed in medical flight crash, Medical aircraft crash in Nevada leaves 5 dead: report, 5 dead in small plane crash in Little Rock, Human error eyed as cause of Yeti Airlines crash that killed 72 people. Never knew he was fighting a battle non of us knew about. A 2012 article in the World described how Russell met his wife. pic.twitter.com/ziBAYv7cgn, Jimmy Thomson (@jwsthomson) August 11, 2018. The incident led to a dramatic and tragic night on August 10, 2018, as aircraft were grounded at Sea-Tac while fighter jets followed the man and air traffic controllers tried unsuccessfully to help him land the aircraft. Acted alone he is 29 year old Pierce county residence. 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[36] He had been part of a tow team, which repositions aircraft on the airport apron, for about four years. Latest update from tower indicates no interest on his part to land the plane. He has buzzed Mt Rainer and the Seattle area. Mona Lazar. 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. Audio from the SeaTac tower reported that aircraft were lined up on the tarmac at one point. Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) August 11, 2018, People posted photos and videos to Twitter of a plume of smoke and possible crash site. Both were armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles[12] and went supersonic, generating sonic booms on the way to the Puget Sound area. Mourners gathered in the comments section of his YouTube video. "Heroes" - Peter Gabriel Can Humans Detect Text by AI Chatbot GPT? It had first flown in 2012 and was delivered new to Horizon Air in the same year. Audio captured emotional conversations between the man, named as Rich, and air traffic controllers trying to help him land safely. Sea-Tac airport confirmed the plane was down a short time later. That day, Boston Globe journalist Matt Karolian tweeted a link to the Sea-Tac air traffic control broadcast, followed by an announcement that Russell revealed he would attempt a barrel roll maneuver (shown below). Without Him we would be hopeless. Richard Russell, AKA Rich or Beebo Russell, was named as the airport mechanic who stole a Horizon plane at Sea-Tac and crashed it. The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. Ah, minimum wage. Known as Beebo to family and friends, Russell was in his youth a gregarious, outgoing star athlete at Wasilla High School in Alaska, according to The Anchorage Daily News, running track and wrestling. It is not surprising that I thought of Larry Walters when I first heard about Richard Russell. Russell said on the aviation audio, This is probably jail time for life, huh? Sea-Tac airport confirmed the plane was down a short time later. Rich, you said you had 2100 pounds of fuel left? the controller responded. He preciously worked as a ground service agent at Horizon from 2015 to present. He was dubbed Sky King and tributes were offered to him. As the voice recordings show, Beebos intent was not to harm anyone and he was right in saying that there are so many people who love him.. We are devastated by these events and Jesus is truly the only one holding this family together right now. We love you bud. A lot of the people he was helping were troubled kids.. You can listen to all of his SoundCloud clips here. There is the runway just about a mile off your right side, do you see that? 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 . "Guides" Rainier. Lee Goldberg. She posted a series of selfies showing the couple on various adventures. [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). A recording of their conversation . He said of himself that, Ive got a lot of people that care about me. 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, where it was chased by fighter planes as he attempted stunts in the air before the plane crashed. On behalf of the family, we are stunned and heartbroken. Pilots kept plane out of harms way and people on ground safe. About 1 hour and 15 minutes after takeoff, Russell died by intentionally crashing the aircraft on lightly populated Ketron Island in Puget Sound. August 12, 2018 1:05 PM EDT. Russell, a ground services worker for Horizon Air, was permitted to get very close to passenger aircraft. 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 . He did a barrel roll in a stolen plane and went out in a blaze of glory. 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.. in correct chronological orderthis took pIace over about 75 minutes. Quite a scary experience. Location of SeattleTacoma International Airport (north) and Ketron Island (south) within northwestern Washington state. Happy to read and share the best inspirational Sky King Richard Russell quotes, sayings and quotations on Wise Famous Quotes. On YouTube, he also went by the name Beebo Russell. How was he able to take off without being stopped? [34][35] The FBI stated, "Interviews with work colleagues, friends, and familyand review of text messages exchanged with Russell during the incidentdid not identify any information that would suggest the theft of the aircraft was related to wider criminal activity or terrorist ideology. A childhood friend remarked that Beebo was loved by everyone because he was kind and gentle to each person he met. Wish me luck! Tower tracking flight and in contact. Today marks the third anniversary of the poetic death of Richard Russell, dubbed "Sky King," the young man who took an airplane for a glorious final flight. Everything is shutdown rn pic.twitter.com/AzebdIa3tP, City King (@CityKing_Gank_) September 3, 2022. They deemed Russell the Sky King inspiring an outpouring of memes in his memorial and a possible . 1.6K. "[21] When an air traffic controller requested he land the plane after this maneuver, he said "I don't know. "Nah, I'm a white guy." [39] He was an avid traveler and attended Washington State University Global Campus, majoring in social science. I dont need that much help; Ive played some video games before, he told the controllers trying to help him. It may seem difficult for those watching at home to believe, but Beebo was a warm, compassionate man, the statement read. Before takeoff, the pilot explains someone stole an airplane, and is flying around near Mt. Although investigators received information regarding Russell's background, possible stressors, and personal life, no element provided a clear motivation for Russell's actions. 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. He and his wife had owned a bakery in Oregon but sold it to move closer to her family. 2:18. Updated Nov 30, 2022 at 4:37pm. Richard Russell plane crash video was released. He doesnt sound confident in his ability to land back at SeaTac. Richard Russell was a suicidal airport ground services worker who stole an airplane from Sea-Tac . Then, it segues into a montage of photos from Russells trips to Alaska, France, Ireland, and other places before ending with a scene from a family gathering. Seattle ground Horizon guy. The story, despite seeming near-mythic, is true. Apparently someone stole a Horizon Q and is flying it over SeaTac. This is a Tribute Video to the late Richard Russell, better known as the Sky King. Polices ,ambulances ,& fire trucks are everywhere. August 10, 2021 by Kirk Forlatt. What now? The general feeling was, "It is a wonder that more of us don't crack from the tedium and meaninglessness of our consumer culture." Russell said to dispatchers, You think if I can land this successfully, Alaska will give me a job as a pilot? and the Air Traffic Control tower said, I think they will give you a job doing anything if you pull this off. He replied, according to some sites, Yeah right! Normal operations at Sea-Tac Airport have resumed. My names Richard Russell, Im 27 and currently living in Sumner, WA with my incredible wife Hannah. I feel really bad for Richard and for his family. Footage of Patterson flying the plane went viral on social media and people quickly started comparing it to the 2018 Sky King incident. They deemed Russell the Sky King inspiring an outpouring of memes in his memorial and a possible copycat this September. 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. 1,012 words / 5:32 To listen in a player, click here. 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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. In 2018, a Horizon Air employee, Richard Russell, stole a plane with no prior flying experience, making international headlines. On August 10, 2018, Mr. Russell, known as Beebo to his friends and family, helped himself to a Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 turboprop and took it on a 75-minute joyride. KINGs Madison Wade reports. Now, in new footage of the moments before he took off, the 29-year-old can be seen walking through airport security with a The Skys No Limit T-shirt. Published The plane was grounded for the night after returning from Victoria, B.C., which was its final scheduled flight of the day. "[42] During his conversation with air traffic control, Russell said he "[knew] what [he was] doing a little bit" because he had experience playing video games. I don't want to. Public acts of violence such as mass shootings often reflect the perpetrators troubled, dark past. About. [20], Videos and radio transmissions of the event were followed online, immediately sparking a meme dubbing Russell the "Sky King". Horizon Q4 prop hijacked by unauthorized person not a pilot. 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.