Hey, I found myself in a predicament. Family friend Mike Matthews read a statement from Russells family that said the incident was a complete shock to them. On Facebook, Rich, using the name Beebo Russell, wrote that he lived in Sumner, Washington, was from Wasilla, Alaska, and was married to Hannah Russell, who works as an assistant pastry chef and . 1.6K. 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. It seemed like he was well liked by the other workers. Before he took off, several people at the airport questioned what was going on. 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. (shown below). USA TODAY. Location of SeattleTacoma International Airport (north) and Ketron Island (south) within northwestern Washington state. Men in the UK, aged 20 to 49, are more likely to die from . Confirmed info .. this is a single suicide male. About to take off. I was kind of hoping that was gonna be it, you know? The video shows Russell wearing a shirt that reads The skys no limit, as he passed through security at the airport, where he worked. in correct chronological orderthis took pIace over about 75 minutes. No others involved., @KING5Seattle heres a video of the hijacked plane and fighter escort from Steilacoom in the ferry line for anderson Island pic.twitter.com/8fgAUe05xv. He flew around as an air traffic controller calmly tried to reason with him. "[20], Rolling Stone magazine investigated the incident and reported in 2021 that some of Russell's friends and family believe he may have suffered brain injuries during his football years in high school and college. Never really knew it, until now, Richard Russell said at one point. "[43] Some co-workers said that Russell had probably trained himself to fly using amateur flight simulation software. Why did I do it? The airline confirmed that an unauthorized take-off occurred. About to take off. According to suicide prevention expert, Dr. Christine Moutier, middle-aged White men account for 70% of deaths from suicide each year. On Facebook, his favorite quotes were religious in nature, including, God IS Love and No Guilt in Life, No Fear in Death, this is the Power of Christ in Me, and a non religious line, This is America.. He appeared regretful about the pain he knew would inevitably visit his family. He went sightseeing along the Olympic mountain range. I dont need that much help; Ive played some video games before, he told the controllers trying to help him. No one else is thought to have been injured or killed, and the fighter jets did not fire . 0:00. 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. (If you need help, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.). Never really knew it until now. I dont need that much help; Ive played some video games before, he told the controllers trying to help him. [20], On April 14, 2022, the FBI released 500 pages of previously classified documents related to the investigation. He sounds like a broken man who needed help. This dives into the psychology and reason of why he Hi-jacked a plane and . The episode has also suggested that Russell was more complicated than the easygoing persona of his known online footprint. Footage of Russell performing the barrel roll was captured on video by Facebook[2] user John Waldron. The majority of the memes are in celebration and memorial of Russell, while others are more trollish shitposts. Polices ,ambulances ,& fire trucks are everywhere. [39] He attended Wasilla High School, where he wrestled and competed in track and field. I wouldnt want to do that. The plane was grounded for the night after returning from Victoria, B.C., which was its final scheduled flight of the day. Posted Sep 24, 2018. The incident resulted in Russell losing his life when he crashed on Ketron Island in Puget Sound, but people on sites like 4chan refused to let his story end there. It may seem difficult for those watching at home to believe, but Beebo was a warm, compassionate man. "What can you expect," some said, "when you take people whose great-great-grandparents were pioneers, grizzly bear hunters, and city-builders and make them baggage handlers, call center operators, and sales clerks?" More information as we learn more, Alaska Airlines wrote on Twitter around 9:20 p.m. on the west coast. But that flight was his last. Quite a scary experience. 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. Holy smokes, Ive got to stop looking at the fuel because its going down quick.. [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. 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 was born in Key West, Florida, and moved to Wasilla, Alaska when I was 7. Wish me luck! Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. Richard Russell Plane Crash Video From Seattle, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. How Psychologically Conditioned Rats Are Defusing Landmines, The Innate Intelligence Observed in the Dying Process, 6 Signs That Youre Depressed and Ignoring It. 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. 1,012 words / 5:32 To listen in a player, click here. That means I lift a lot of bags so many bags, he says. The new footage appears to show Russell wearing a shirt that reads "The Sky's No Limit . He tilted the wings and rumbled low over Puget Sound. As Melville noted, We are all somehow dreadfully cracked about the head, and sadly need mending., Be wary of simple explanations of any human behavior, and of simple solutions for complex problems. We consider ourselves bakery connoisseurs and have to try a new one every place we go. His website is filled with photos and videos of his travels and was previously linked to his Instagram account. On social media, Richard Russell quickly became something of a folk hero, but people also felt sadness and empathy for his pain and his plight. A moniker quickly took hold, echoed by others. I had this dream for 20 years, and if I hadnt done it, I think I would have ended up in the funny farm. That is an example of what we clinicians call good insight.. A lot of the people he was helping were troubled kids.. "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. 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. Happening right now. But he mentioned video games during his recorded conversation with air traffic control, which some have taken as a reference to flight simulator software. Facebook/YouTube steal a Horizon Air Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 airliner. Updated Nov 30, 2022 at 4:37pm. Listening to the audio recordings, I feel nothing but sadness for Rich, for the man who stole that plane at #SeaTac and committed suicide. With this blog I hope to showcase all that Ive learned in Ms. Newmans Communications 210 class., His WordPress page includes a sketch that reads, Continuing with the theme of ground service work and travel benefits, I plan to create a simple logo that expresses both. This incredible true story is the inspiration for SkyKing, a video installation and project created in summer 2020. 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." [33], On November 9, the FBI stated that it had completed its investigation. Glenn Sullivan, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at the Virginia Military Institute and a clinical psychologist in private practice in Lexington, Virginia. Everything is shutdown rn pic.twitter.com/AzebdIa3tP, City King (@CityKing_Gank_) September 3, 2022. It may seem difficult for those watching at home to believe, but Beebo was a warm, compassionate man, the statement read. "[22], The two F-15s attempted to direct the aircraft toward the Pacific Ocean, and did not fire at it. Ive played some video games before.. Rainier. I usually have to work outsidebut it allows me to do some pretty cool things too.. 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. Others reported that the man had supposedly buzzed Mt. They may not admit for a few days. A former coworker, Rick Christenson, told The Seattle Times: He was a quiet guy. The audio between the man known as Rich and air traffic controllers further captured his demeanor. Plane is a Q4. "[17] He asked ATC if he could get a job as a pilot with Alaska Airlines if he successfully landed the aircraft. He stated that he did not want to hurt anyone,[17][19] and in the final minutes of the communication apologized to his friends and family. "Guides" 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). In a final video that he posted to YouTube, Rich Russell showed an active life full of travel and adventure. It seemed like he was well liked by the other workers. Ah, minimum wage. Russell was well-liked by his co-workers, according to The Seattle Times. "[16][19] He added that he "wasn't really planning on landing it. Thats McChord field, the controller tells Richard Russell. It is not surprising that I thought of Larry Walters when I first heard about Richard Russell. He doesnt sound confident in his ability to land back at SeaTac. I dont want to hurt no one. Im going to disappoint them to hear that I did this. Family Left Heartbroken After Airline Worker Steals and Crashes Plane. Maybe that will grease some gears a little bit with the higher-ups. [20] A veteran pilot said the maneuver "seemed pretty well executed, without either stalling or pulling the wings off. The plane started moving, but Russell jumped in the plane and took off. Gary Beck, chief executive of Horizon Air, told reporters Saturday that the acrobatics and maneuvers, including barrel rolls and one loop that brought Russell feet from the waters surface, wereincredible.. An airline employee conducted an unauthorized takeoff without passengers at Sea-Tac; aircraft has crashed in south Puget Sound. Authorities said they dont think he had a pilots license and arent sure how he was able to take off, much less perform complicated tricks in the air like a barrel roll. At one point, Russell told a controller he had played a lot of video games. 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. Since his famous flight, he had spent a lot of time hiking, reading the Bible, and volunteering with the Forest Service. bit.ly/subAIRBOYD Various scanner recordings from liveatc.net and broadcastify.com SEA Ground, Tower, Departure/Approach. On Facebook, Rich, using the name Beebo Russell, wrote that he lived in Sumner, Washington, was from Wasilla, Alaska, and was married to Hannah Russell, who worked as an assistant pastry chef and waitress, according to her social media account. My names Richard Russell, Im 27 and currently living in Sumner, WA with my incredible wife Hannah. On his blog, Richard talks about how he and his wife once ran a bakery. 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. Now a family is left to reckon with tragedy, while strangers find grim inspiration in his final act. Audio captured emotional conversations between the man, named as Rich, and air traffic controllers trying to help him land safely. He has buzzed Mt Rainer and the Seattle area. Then he took an Alaska Airlines plane. #iflyalaska #akedchat.. [4][13] A KC-135R Stratotanker refueling tanker was also scrambled from Fairchild Air Force Base to support the F-15 flight. Hijacker does not know how to land the plane. I have flown from Sea-Tac many times, and know the landmarks Russell mentions well (Mt. | But is true.., Here is a statement from the family of Richard Russell, the Horizon Air employee who stole a plane, crashed it into Ketron Island.This is a complete shock to us. This is a complete shock to us. Ah, minimum wage. 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. I dont want to hurt no one. 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. Meanwhile, various tributes to Russell were uploaded to YouTube (shown below). Mona Lazar. Sep 09, 2022 at 02:47PM EDT 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. 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.. Now video was released. Aw man, those guys would rough me up if I tried landing there, Rich says. After performing the stunt, along with other maneuvers, the plane crashed on Ketron Island in the Puget Sound. 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. Get the help you need from a therapist near youa FREE service from Psychology Today. 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. Im praying for #Rich tonightnot just the guy who stole a plane from #SeaTac, but every guy like Rich who (it seemsbut Ill admit Im assuming a lot here) is suffering and cannot find a better way out. Just kind of soaring around, he told air traffic control. A Port of Seattle official, Mike Pohl, said that Russell used an airport tractor to pull the parked plane onto a runway, which he would have known how to do, as part of his job in ground service was towing airplanes. 2007-2023 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. I hope they can make it through this. He said that airline employees go through background checks. He attended Washington State Global University Campus from 2016-2017, seeking a bachelors degree in social science. Its going to disappoint them to hear I did this, he hauntingly said before his death. Richard Russell: Details emerge of a compassionate man after Seattle plane heist and fiery crash. Theyre not as easy to fly as, say, a Cessna 150, Beck said. Rest in peace Rich. I met Hannah in Coos Bay, Oregon in 2010 while we were both going to school, the about me section says. Richard Russell, a ground control agent, died after he stole the plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in August 2018 and drove it into the ground of a remote island in the Puget Sound . Weird times. What now? He is not a pilot and does not know how to land the plane. Someone plucked a bag off a conveyor belt. Seattle-Tacoma Intl. Many people online compared the incident to 2018's incident with Richard Russell, calling Patterson "Sky King 2.0" or "Sky King 2. Richard Russell, AKA Rich or Beebo Russell, was named as the airport mechanic who stole a Horizon plane at Sea-Tac and crashed it. [9], On August 11th, 2018, journalist Jimmy Tomson tweeted out a series of audio clips in which Russell can be heard talking to an air traffic controller (shown below).[3]. The plane crashed through several lines of 100-foot trees, the National Transportation Safety Board said, according to CNN. Powered by. They were born, they laughed, they struggled, they loved, and they died. 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. pic.twitter.com/Ra4LcIhwfU. [5] Seattle Tower tried several times to get the pilot of the aircraft to identify himself on frequency, but received no response. 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. He said of himself that, Ive got a lot of people that care about me. 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.. On that day, Twitter[11] user @CityKing_Gank_ posted a clip of Patterson flying the plane over his town, garnering over 17,000 likes and 4,000 retweets in six days (shown below). We are aware of an incident involving an unauthorized take-off of a Horizon Air Q400. This video is not meant to glamorize suicide. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital After attempting the aircraft took off, two F-15 fighter jets were deployed. Will many of us have a better story to tell when we get to wherever were going, one Reddit user saidin a thread. I think Im gonna try to do a barrel roll, and if that goes good, Im just gonna nose down and call it a night., Hannah Russell: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. These statements should probably be considered the emotional projections of similarly disaffected people. The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. 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. Preliminary info is that a mechanic from unknown airlines stole plane. Hello, Love. In another moment, Russell said he was lightheaded and talked about adjusting the cabin pressure, but it was not clear whether he was able to do that. Its burned quite a bit faster than I expected., He also said, Im gonna land it, in a safe kind of manner. Its not clear whether Russell, 29, had ever really flown a plane before. Although he was born in Key West, Fla. he moved to Wasilla when he was 7, according to a website he made in 2017. Weird times., CBS News reporter Kris Van Cleave wrote, FAA sources say it appears an airline employee stole a Horizon Air Turbo Prop from SeaTac and took off and crashed Ketron Island outside Seattle. He shared a tweet from a woman named Victoria, who wrote, Sitting on a plane at SeaTac Airport, a Horizon employee just hijacked an airplane. He played athletics in high school in Wasilla, Alaska. Rich, you said you had 2100 pounds of fuel left? the controller responded. Who is the aircraft on Runway 1-6 center? an air traffic controller can be heard saying. The video was widely circulated online and by major news publications (shown below). #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. He was a faithful husband, a loving son, and a good friend, Mike Mathews read from the statement at a press conference. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt. In the article, Russell described himself as laid back and easy going. [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. It was worth it, he said, to conveniently travel to Alaska, where he grew up, to visit family. Patterson did not end up flying the plane into Walmart, instead landing in a field where he was arrested. Someone sneak on board?, A man named Tyler Lucas wrote, Sitting on the runway at SeaTac, preparing for departure. He sounds just like anyone else would if they suddenly found themselves in a similar situation. Who Is The 'Sky King' Richard Russell And How Did He Earn His Title? [4][6][9] A tow boat crew was the first to respond. This is "Sky King ~ Richard Russell" by Nibbus Jimmus on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. [4] The New York Times Richard Russell Who Stole Plane Near Seattle Raises Troubling Security Questions, [5] The Washington Post Richard Russell Details emerge of a compassionate man after Seattle plane heist and fiery crash, [6] CBS News Richard Russell pilot of stolen Horizon Air plane had lighthearted tone before deadly crash, [10] CNN Pilot arrested after threatening to crash plane into Mississippi Walmart and eventually landing in a field, police say, [14] 4chan Pilot threatening to crash hijacked plane into Walmart in Tupelo, Mississippi, 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 [] At one point in the dramatic audio, Richard Russell told the tower he was losing an engine. The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long, another said. Third, and perhaps most importantly, psychiatric diagnoses provide listeners with psychological distance from the victim. Never really knew it, until now.". Mr. Russell chatted, not too calmly, but coherently, with an air traffic controller during his solo flight. Normal operations at Sea-Tac Airport have resumed, the airport wrote. On LinkedIn, he wrote that he was owner/operator of Hannah Maries Bakery from 2012 through 2015 in North Bend, Oregon. Sea-Tac airport confirmed the plane was down a short time later. ?, One woman wrote on Twitter, he has stolen a big Horizon turbo prop. [45] The aircraft was worth $30million, all of which was paid under the company's insurance policy "with no deductibles. 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. He left no children. Facebook Richard Russell plane crash video was released. Then, about an hour after he took off, Russell plunged into sparsely populated Ketron Island 25 miles southwest of the airport, sparking an intense fire. "Nah, I'm a white guy." Together, they started a bakery in North Bend, Oregon. The story, despite seeming near-mythic, is true. #seatac pic.twitter.com/OVtJqphgqo. 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. The Pierce County Sheriff wrote on Twitter, Stolen horizon airplane crashed into Ketron island. Male is confirmed a suicidal male. "[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. They deemed Russell the Sky King inspiring an outpouring of memes in his memorial and a possible . A week after Richard Russell stole a Horizon plane from Sea-Tac Airport and crashed it on Ketron Island, there are few hints about why he did it or how he was able to fly the aircraft. Unclear if passengers are on board. Britain is in the grip of a male suicide crisis. [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. 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. I was dead set against it. Their business contained a sign that read, I have loved you with an everlasting love.