"Our hearts are with the families of the individual aboard as well as all of our Alaska Air and Horizon Air employees," said Constance von Muehlen, the airline's chief operating officer. I don't know, man! Every time I traveled I would look out my plane window and see these sullen looking individuals leisurely pacing around, or hectically throwing bags into a cart. I don't want to. After Russell performed an unauthorized takeoff, two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighters were scrambled to intercept the aircraft. Win Your Trip to Our 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards! This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He later stole the plane and eventually crashed it into an island in Puget Sound. Ben Charles Padilla, an aircraft mechanic who held a private pilots license and was a certified flight engineer, was repairing a 727 airliner in Luanda, Angola for a Florida-based company named Aerospace Sales and Leasing. Richard Russell: 'Heartbroken' family of Seattle airline employee - CNN August 13, 2018 / 5:34 AM Surveillance footage obtained by KOMO shows 28-year-old Richard Russell using a tow vehicle to pull a Horizon Air Q400 aircraft onto the tarmac before climbing into the cockpit on August 10, 2018. I was kinda hoping that was going to be it. 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. "I never thought I would work as a Ground Service Agent (GSA) for an Airlines company," he wrote in a blog post in September 2017. "We are devastated by these events, and Jesus is truly the only one holding this family together right now. Video released to KOMO News from the Port of Seattle capture the final moments of Richard Russell who took a Horizon Air plane from SeaTac Airport without authorization, performed acrobatic. He managed to proceed with his plan unmolested largely because no one thought twice about the baggage handler working in the airport's restricted spaces. ", Referring to audio recordings of Russell talking to air traffic control during his hour-long flight, the statement said his "intent was not to harm anyone. 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. New video of 2018 Horizon Air plane heist at Sea-Tac | king5.com I've played some video games before," Russell responds. President Donald Trump was briefed on the incident and is monitoring the situation, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Saturday morning. 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. A ground service agent's tasks don't involve touching planes' controls, CNN aviation analyst Mary Schiavo said. Please enter valid email address to continue. Onlooker John Waldron took video that shows the plane rolling inverted at low altitude, then pulling into a half-loop in a aerobatic high-g maneuver called a split S. Whether through skill or luck, Russell managed to pull the plane out of its rapid descent just above the wave tops. Please enter valid email address to continue. Like a lot of bags. Also see | 'I was blown away': Stepbrother of man who stole plane speaks out. Now let's land that airplane safely and don't hurt anybody on the ground," the helping pilot radios. Others include how, nearly 17 years after the 9/11 attack, someone can simply take a passenger plane from a major U.S. airport without authorization. Mr Russell's aerial joyride ultimately ended in a fiery crash on a remote island in Puget Sound. The footage shows him going through security wearing a T-shirt. But the friendly tone of a 29-year-old airport worker who stole a commercial plane Friday night, performing acrobatic stunts before a fatal plunge into a thick island forest, belied his desperate actions. Padilla and an a recently hired assistant boarded the plane, taxied it to the runway, took off, and head out over the Atlantic Ocean. The incident is bizarre and tragic, but it is not unprecedented. Other pilots and SeaTac's tower exchange information about Mr Russell as they quickly realise that something unusual is going on. While searching the crash site, investigators also located human remains among the aircraft materials. In a final video project set to cheery music, Russell included selfies from airport . Sky King (RE-POST with new footage) || The Day an Airline Employee So many bags," he said. When Rolling Stone published its article last year, no major regulatory or security changes had been implemented in response to Russells deadly flight. One sketch that he posted included a drawing of a Q400 plane, the same kind of plane involved in Friday's crash. Russell's family said in a statement that they were stunned and heartbroken. 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. Airline officials believe he was in uniform and worked a shift Friday, Tilden said. Richard Russell Plane Crash Video From Seattle | Heavy.com By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Russell had no piloting experience, but he managed . The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. "The FBI is going to be thorough, which means taking the time needed to scour the area, delve into the background of the individual believed responsible for Friday night's incident, and review every aspect with all appropriate public and private partners," the FBI's Seattle office tweeted Saturday afternoon. ", Russell posted collages of photos from his trips around the world, writing that travel was "what keeps me going in the most unfavorable circumstances.". He first can be seen wandering through security, and is spotted again later on the tarmac. The tower alerted the Portland Air National Guard base, which dispatched a group of US Air Force F-15s to intercept the rouge aircraft. Details of man who sources say stole airplane from Sea-Tac, Officials: Man who stole plane, died in crash not a pilot, Woman faces decades in prison after lying about murder, Do you have an investigative story tip? By Jeff Wise Published: Aug 13, 2018 JASON REDMOND // Getty Images 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. 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? Air traffic control became suspicious of Mr Russell after he cut in the line for takeoff. ", "I've got a lot of people that care about me," the man later said. In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt that says "The Sky's No Limit." This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Playing What We Want In Seattle! Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. The sky thief Richard Russell captivated the audience's attention after the Authorities at the Port of Seattle released an airport surveillance video of plane stealing. The plane was a Bombardier Q400, a turboprop that seats 76 people, owned by Horizon Air, part of Alaska Airlines. "Russell had a few unexcused absences, but nothing considered significant.". Human remains were found in wake of Friday's tragic plane crash. New video shows fiery scene of stolen plane crash on Ketron Island He said his actions were "going to disappoint" the people who cared for him, and described himself as "just a broken guy" with "a few screws loose, I guess.". 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. Airports nationwide will now look at whether their security procedures need to change, CNN safety analyst David Soucie said. "But the air traffic controller had to tell him how to set what they call the 'bugs' -- they're just little, sort of, little levers, or little notches on your indicator for your heading, which is kind of basic. "Here we have an employee who was vetted to the level to have access to the aircraft and had a skill set proficient enough to take off with that plane.". Jeff Wise is a New York-based science journalist specializing in aviation and psychology. 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,. 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. 2018 Horizon Air Q400 incident - Wikipedia July 4, 1986. "Everyone was literally frozen in place, muttering about what possibly happened," he said. Richard Russell: quiet, well-liked Seattle airport worker who stole a plane But the plane slammed into tiny Ketron Island, a sparsely populated island southwest of Tacoma. What was the richard russell plane crash story all about. "Last night's event is going to push us to learn what we can from this tragedy so that we can ensure this does not happen again at Alaska Air Group or at any other airline," Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Airlines, told a news conference Saturday. "If you're going to access the aircraft you make sure that you check with someone else, and that someone else (will confirm) that you have the right authority to get onto that aircraft.". Russell, a Horizon Air ground service agent for three and a half years, was the only person aboard the plane, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department said. It seemed like such miserable work and I never could imagine why anyone would want to subject themselves to all the constant noise, gas fumes, and heavy lifting. "I would like to apologize to each and every one of them. "Never really knew it till now," he said. He passed a series of background checks to gain his position, as he didn't have any criminal convictions. 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. The whole saga took place late on a Friday night in the west-coast time zone; by Monday morning, the constant news churn of the middle years of the Trump presidency seemed to have pushed any follow-up coverage of the Horizon Air crash out of the headlines. The jets' capability was appropriate to the potential task, one of the sources said, without offering details. The man could be heard on audio recordings telling air traffic controllers that he is "just a broken guy." Richard B. Russell reportedly stole a Horizon Air plane for a joyride before crashing and killing himself near Seattle. ", The statement said Russell, 29, was "a faithful husband, a loving son and a good friend. Remains of airline worker who stole, crashed plane found on island in The Q400 is a turboprop aircraft with 76 seats. So many bags," he said. Having to rely on the ferry system for transport, the first 40 responding firefighters stayed at the scene throughout the night. Relatives of Richard Russell say they are "stunned and heartbroken" after the airline worker stole a passenger plane Friday from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and was killed when. Security footage shows man stealing plane he later crashed into a