appreciated. The FBI released the findings of its investigation earlier this week, concluding 28-year-old ramp agent Richard Russell, also known as Bebo, stole the Horizon airplane and intentionally crashed it into the south end of Ketron Island. Also see | 'I was blown away': Stepbrother of man who stole plane speaks out. Richard "Beebo" Russell, the Horizon Air employee who stole a plane from Sea-Tac Airport on Friday night, performed midair acrobatics over Puget Sound and then crashed into an island, was an. Padilla and an a recently hired assistant boarded the plane, taxied it to the runway, took off, and head out over the Atlantic Ocean. "He was getting really stressed about the financial situation he was in. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his travels. Meyer had recently been passed over for promotion and had been arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct. video Plane crashes near Seattle airport. The plane was a Bombardier Q400, a turboprop that seats 76 people, owned by Horizon Air, part of Alaska Airlines. All Rights Reserved. CCTV Footage Shows Baggage Handler Stealing Plane, Crashes On Island - TMZ That includes both domestic and international flights. Chilling CCTV footage shows Richard Russell stealing plane before fatal What happened from then, left a. For one, Russell shouldn't have been able to board the plane alone, he said. Other pilots and SeaTac's tower exchange information about Mr Russell as they quickly realise that something unusual is going on. Newly-obtained surveillance video from 2018 shows how Richard Russell, then a Horizon Ground service agent with no pilot experience, successfully stole the plane before crashing to his death. Siddiq Saunderson Moved to L.A. and Immediately Bought a Prius, Millennials and Zillennials Can't Get Enough of Manual Transmissions, Dollar Flight Club Premium Plus (Lifetime Subscription), Tesla Investor Day 2023 Was Pretty Great if You Ignored Elon. His 75-minute flight during the golden twilight took him south and west, toward the Olympic Mountains. The Port of Seattle just released the CCTV footage of 29-year-old Richard Russell towing the Alaska Airlines' Q400 Turboprop into position back in 2018 at the Seattle-Tacoma International. KINGs Madison Wade reports. Subscribe to NBC News: http://nbcnews.to/SubscribeToNBC Watch more NBC video: http://bit.ly/MoreNBCNewsNBC News Digital is a collection of innovative and powerful news brands that deliver compelling, diverse and engaging news stories. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Russell echoed those claims in his last conversation with air traffic control. Win Tickets to Weezer with Spoon and White Reaper at White River Amphitheater on August 20th! The FBI also said it found human remains among the wreckage. 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. The Seattle FBI office said Sunday that it had recovered the flight data recorder and components of the cockpit voice recorder from the Horizon plane. 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. "My husband and I are recently former Boeing employees, and we were wondering why a jet was near the passenger airplane," she said. Investigators "did not identify any information that would suggest the theft of the aircraft was related to wider criminal activity or terrorist ideology," according to a summary of the FBI report. . Nearby co-workers weren't even aware of Russell's actions, which happened six hours into his shift, according to reporters. An FBI investigation found Alaska Airlines ramp employee Richard Russell intentionally crashed the aircraft after flying for more than an hour. Richard Russell: Authorities don't believe man who stole Dash-8 Q400 A Russian Air Force engineer made off with an Antonov An-26 transport plane from Kubinka Air Force Base near Moscow. By Louis Lucero II and Melissa Gomez. 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. In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt that says "The Sky's No Limit." 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. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. 2023 Cable News Network. Foote was an experienced glider pilot and had undergone 100 hours of simulator flying in the Skyhawk and had hoped to become a military pilot before his ambitions were derailed by health issues. An air traffic controller called him "Rich," and tried to convince him to land the airplane. "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.". I've played some video games before, he said. 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 He did not survive the crash. An FBI investigation found Alaska Airlines ramp employee Richard Russell intentionally crashed the aircraft after flying for more than an hour. 2023 Cox Media Group. 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. The FBI will lead the investigation, said Eckrote, the NTSB regional chief. / CBS/AP. I was kinda hoping that was going to be it. The U.S. National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) is online 24/7 to help you in a time of depression or desperation. Ultimately the FBI determined that Mr Russell intentionally brought the airplane into a dive onto a small island in Puget Sound, where he died. President Donald Trump was briefed on the incident and is monitoring the situation, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Saturday morning. John Waldron was walking along a trail near the bay when he noticed the two military jets following a plane doing aerobatics. and last updated 2018-08-12 08:56:01-04. The plane had been parked in a maintenance area and was not scheduled for a passenger flight, Tilden said. 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. Russell, 29 is presumed dead. The man has been identified as Richard Russell, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation confirmed to CNN on Saturday night. Music from Green Day, Michael Jackson, Queen, Billy Joel, Tom Petty, Madonna, Pearl Jam, Fleetwood Mac, and more! He was immediately killed. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. He also told the controller he "wasn't really planning on landing" the aircraft, and he described himself as "just a broken guy.". Playing What We Want In Seattle! Even with this new footage at hand, its hard to figure out what made Russell embark on this brazen, fatal adventure. 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 he crashed 25 miles away. Also see | Stolen plane narrowly missed family inside Ketron Island cabin. SEATTLE -- He cracked jokes, complimented the professional demeanor of an air traffic controller and apologized for making a fuss. The theft illustrated what aviation experts have long known: One of the biggest potential perils for commercial air travel is airline or airport employees causing mayhem. Russell, a 3-1/2-year Horizon employee, worked as a ground service agent. The family of a man who authorities saystole an airplane from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and later crashed it called him a faithful husband, loving son and good friend. It's gonna be crazy," Mr Russel said. All rights reserved. "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.". Data from the flight data recorder showed there was a significant sideslip on the airplane during the last minute of the flight, but the airplane appeared to stay in control, according to the FBI report. Tragic as Russell's death was, he could have inflicted vastly more damage had he been so inclined. After proceeding through the pre-flight checklist and moving the pushback tractor, Mr Russell began rolling the plane toward a runway. Did you encounter any technical issues? The 76-seat Horizon Air turboprop plane took off without authorization at 7:32 p.m. local time Friday, with Russell, who was not a pilot, at the controls, officials said. I've played some video games before," Russell responds. 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. Jeff Wise is a New York-based science journalist specializing in aviation and psychology. By Jeff Wise Published: Aug 13, 2018 JASON REDMOND // Getty Images He's worked at Horizon longer than I did, and he still wasn't making $15 an hour, Reeves said. Airline officials believe he was in uniform and worked a shift Friday, Tilden said. 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. U.S. Air Force Sergeant Paul Meyer, a 23-year-old crew chief stationed at Mildenhall Air Base in England, stole a C-130 cargo plane and took off. .css-v1xtj3{display:block;font-family:FreightSansW01,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:100;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-v1xtj3:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-v1xtj3{font-size:1.1387rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-v1xtj3{line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-v1xtj3{font-size:1.18581rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.5rem;margin-top:0rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-v1xtj3{font-size:1.23488rem;line-height:1.2;margin-top:0.9375rem;}}A 777 Nearly Plunged Into the Ocean After Takeoff, Sudden FAA Failure Grounds U.S. Russell took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at 7.32pm on Friday and flew, tailed by F-15 Eagle jets, until the plane crashed at 8.47pm into Ketron Island, located 25 miles. As he flew the stolen 76-seat passenger plane above the Seattle area for nearly an hour on Friday night, Richard B. Russell was asked by an air . New video of 2018 Horizon Air plane heist at Sea-Tac | king5.com Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much "He might have been talking to himself in the cockpit," so the voice recorder may provide additional information that wasn't recorded in radio traffic, she said. Security footage shows man stealing plane he later crashed into a Richard Russell: Details emerge of a 'compassionate' man after Seattle plane heist and fiery crash By Alex Horton August 13, 2018 at 8:01 a.m. EDT A Horizon Air employee described as. Russell was credentialed to be in secure areas at the airport, said Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Air Group, which owns Horizon Air. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Kathleen Reichel said she watched the planes pass by for about two minutes. Marine Corps lance corporal Howard A. Foote, Jr. stole an A-4M Skyhawk ground attack jet from Marine Corps Air Station El Toro and took it on a 45-minute aerobatic joyride before returning to base and landing safely. In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his various travels. 4.3M views 7 months ago A newly released video sheds new light on the moments leading up to Richard Russell crashing a plane. You know?". The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. Like a lot of bags. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, Ted Cruz calls for Fauci to be prosecuted in CPAC rant on Covid, George Santos under investigation by House Ethics committee, CDC sends warning after babys death linked to contaminated breast pump, Footage shows man stealing plane he crashed into a Washington island, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Up to 20% off & extra perks with Booking.com Genius Membership, $6 off a $50+ order with this AliExpress discount code, 10% off selected orders over 100 - eBay discount code, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK March 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this March, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. Richard Russell Plane Crash Video Explained Video from a witness on the ground shows the plane at one point pulling up for a loop, putting the aircraft upside-down and then pulling back up just feet above a body of water. 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. Im coming home! But it was not to be. 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. 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. Reeves said he left Horizon because workers are overworked and underpaid. 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. Cooper? F-15 "pilots kept plane out of harms way and people on ground safe," the sheriff's office tweeted. The plane was a Q400, a Bombardier turboprop plane, one of about 40 the airline has in its fleet. Worker who stole plane and crashed identified, See stolen plane flying moments before crash, Co-worker of man who stole plane speaks out, Official: Man taxied plane before stealing it, Airline worker's family releases statement, Airline issues statement after Seattle crash, Witness: Thought Air Force was practicing for show. Richard Russell: 'Heartbroken' family of Seattle airline employee - CNN Richard "Beebo" Russell (Screenshot from YouTube via AP) SEATTLE - The Horizon Air baggage handler who stole a commercial airplane from Sea-Tac Airport and took it for a 73-minute joy ride . Ah, dammit. Russell is then seen walking into a restricted area meant for baggage handlers, getting onto a tarmac tow vehicle, and dragging the plane he was set to steal onto the runway. F-15s were scrambled out of their base at Portland International Airport to intercept the plane. While in the air, Meyer, whod been married eight weeks before, called his wife and said, Guess what? He said flying was a "blast" and that he didn't need much help: "I've played some video games before.". They pursued the aircraft before it went down on Ketron Island, between Tacoma and Olympia. He is the author of The Plane That Wasn't There: Why We Haven't Found MH370. The incident came about when a 29-year-old man stole an aircraft from Seattle-Tacoma International airport in August 2018. Each Thursday Ticket Takeover we giveaway prizes all day for different concerts, events, and more! No one noticed the plane had disappeared until Mr Russell was in the air. F-15 fighter jets scrambled to intercept the Q400, which ultimately crashed into Ketron Island, about 30 miles from the airport. 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? Russell was recorded having multiple conversations with air traffic controllers who were trying to talk him into landing. Russell flew the plane for over an hour before crashing. The footage shows him going through security wearing a T-shirt. "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. A curious and ultimately tragic story from 2018 finally has a little more context, thanks to security camera footage. A blog that appeared to belong to Russell as part of a multimedia content creation class at Washington State University focused on his job on a ground service agent. Horizon airline employee, 28-year-old Richard 'Bebo' Russell, stole a plane and took off before crashing into remote Pierce County island At one point he asks the controller, Hey, do you think if I land this successfully, Alaska [Horizon Airs parent company, Alaska Airllines] will give me a job as a pilot? Told, You know, I think they would give you a job doing anything if you could pull this off, Russell replies, Yeah right! Indeed, in transcripts of his conversation with air-traffic control as he zig-zags the stolen plane through the airspace above the 15th-largest city in the U.S. (some of which can be heard in the video above), Russells demeanor goes from awestruck, to giddy, to fearful, to guilty, as he seems to process in real-time the weight of what hes done, and the unlikelihood that hell survive. "He was a quiet guy," Rick Christenson, an operational supervisor with the airline who retired in Maytold The Seattle Times. Man who took Horizon Air plane from Sea-Tac Airport was quiet, well "I lift a lot of bags. The jets' capability was appropriate to the potential task, one of the sources said, without offering details. Jason Silverstein contributed to this report. I don't know, man! Witnesses described the surreal scene after the plane left the airport. He eventually climbs inside the cockpit and fires up the engine. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. / CBS/AP. 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.".