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On social media, Richard Russell used the name Beebo Russell. Although authorities have not released his name, The Seattle Times identified the man as Richard Russell. 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). Ive got a lot of people that care about me. I would like to apologize to each and every one of them. He was 29 years old and a member of the ground crew at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport, earning minimum wage. [39] He was an avid traveler and attended Washington State University Global Campus, majoring in social science. As of 2019[update], this clean up effort was still ongoing, with pieces of aircraft wreckage still being located on the island after the first anniversary of the incident. Sky-King Rich 'Beebo' Russell FULL AUDIO w/ Air Traffic Control Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose I guess. Once I earn my Bachelors in Social Sciences I will either seek a management position where Im at now, or possibly join the military as an officer. in correct chronological orderthis took pIace over about 75 minutes. The Pierce County Sheriff wrote on Twitter, Stolen horizon airplane crashed into Ketron island. After five hours, he arrived in a tow vehicle near the plane. Not entirely sure whats happening. Richard Russell, a ground control agent, died after he stole the plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airportin August 2018 and drove it into the ground of a remote island in the Puget Sound, authorities said at the time. A Tale of Two White Men - Medium 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. Hours prior, he posted a message on Facebook that seemed to imply he was going to commit suicide, writing, "Sorry everyone. | The story, despite seeming near-mythic, is true. About 1 hour and 15 minutes after takeoff, Russell died by intentionally crashing the aircraft on lightly populated Ketron Island in Puget Sound. He grins in selfies at work. Russell had no formal training as a pilot and did not have his pilots license. Our first date, he kind of cornered me into it, Hannah Russell said to the site. 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. It was a lie. Ive got a lot of people that care about me. August 10, 2021 by Kirk Forlatt. Monteith also recalled that Russell had been in the cockpit of an Embraer 175 with him, and that Russell asked him about his "flows, which is the preflight preparation I do for takeoff. [4] It landed at SeattleTacoma International Airport at 13:35 local time the afternoon of the incident, after an in-service flight from Victoria, British Columbia. Im going to disappoint them to hear that I did this. Oh, a purple one! Russell exclaimed. 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 . Phillip Hamilton. Well chalk it up to that. He had broken up with his girlfriend of 15 years and was having trouble finding steady work. [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. For Richard Russell | kirkforlatt I have flown from Sea-Tac many times, and know the landmarks Russell mentions well (Mt. [20], Videos and radio transmissions of the event were followed online, immediately sparking a meme dubbing Russell the "Sky King". It was worth it, he said, to conveniently travel to Alaska, where he grew up, to visit family. 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. What now? Russells social media accounts have become funeral guestbooks, digitized for the world. Well chalk it up to that. He is flying around the airport, he does not know how to land it. I was born in Key West, Florida, and moved to Wasilla, Alaska when I was 7. Audio captured emotional conversations between the man, named as Rich, and air traffic controllers trying to help him land safely. 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. in. [5] A nearby Alaska Airlines jet on the ground reported that the aircraft began a takeoff roll with its wheels smoking,[5] and an unauthorized take-off was made at 19:32 local time (02:32 UTC, August 11). Richard Russell was a jokester who complained about work, but Sea-Tac 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. He played athletics in high school in Wasilla, Alaska. Richard Russell had a website that appeared to have been for a college communications class. [23] The Q400 ultimately crashed at 20:43 local time[1] on Ketron Island in Puget Sound, Pierce County, Washington, killing the occupant and destroying the aircraft. Tower, you need to call and scramble now, one pilot warned, according to the video. The hardest part of stealing a commercial plane from an international airport was already over for Richard Russell. He then boards an empty 70-seater plane and took off. 2018 Horizon Air Q400 incident - Wikipedia Male is confirmed a suicidal male. They opened a bakery and ran it for three years before selling it in 2015 to be closer to Hannahs family. The Sky King Richard Russell: Understanding Why He Died Tulepo Police Chief John Quaka told CNN that Patterson had "some flight instruction" but was still in training. An airline employee conducted an unauthorized takeoff without passengers at Sea-Tac; aircraft has crashed in south Puget Sound. [37], Horizon Air CEO Gary Beck stated that, as far as the company knew, Russell did not have a pilot's license. His conversation and tone is very casual. I usually have to work outsidebut it allows me to do some pretty cool things too.. When I arrived, he was in the kitchen, in the middle of his Sunday morning ritual of cleaning his cleaning supplies. Sadly, he did not survive much longer at all. Before he took off, several people at the airport questioned what was going on. Its gonna be crazy, he said at one point in air traffic control transmissions. We consider ourselves bakery connoisseurs and have to try a new one every place we go. The audio between the man known as Rich and air traffic controllers further captured his demeanor. So many bags, he said. 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). The Russell family released a statement Saturday evening, saying they were stunned and heartbroken over the incident and the loss of aman they called Beebo. He had planned to seek a management position at Horizon Air or become a military officer after receiving his degree. Who's Afraid of the Rorschach Inkblot Test? We've received your submission. Never knew he was fighting a battle non of us knew about. 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. After Russell performed an unauthorized takeoff, two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle . The video shows Russell wearing a shirt that reads The skys no limit, as he passed through security at the airport, where he worked. Heres hoping that the next Rich crashes on a couch of a good listener. Defying attacks, arts return to Somalia with first TV drama in 30 years, Divorced and remarried, these Afghan women are outlaws under Taliban rule. Sky King ~ Richard Russell on Vimeo 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 . 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 . 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. 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 . [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. The federal agencies will lead the investigation. 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. Powered by. Never actually wanted to hurt anyone. 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. Literally Media Ltd. The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long, another said. At another point, Richard Russell said, Im down to 2100; I started at like 30-something.. He doesnt sound confident in his ability to land back at SeaTac. Rainier. Russell cites his position at Horizon in his blog as well. Why did I do it? The family thanked authorities, Alaskair, the community and Russells friends and family. It may seem difficult for those watching at home to believe, but Beebo was a warm, compassionate man. Patch confirmed there was a security incident underway at SeaTac. Yay air force . Other audio reported a ground stop was underway at SeaTac, the airport that services Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. Hannah and Beebo met at a Campus Crusade for Christ gathering at Southwestern Oregon Community College last year, the site reported. At one point, Rich reported that he threw up all over the cockpit, according to the audio. . He would have flipped overhead switches and set the propellers of the Bombardier Q400 spinning before he roared away from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. 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. "Guides" This is a Tribute Video to the late Richard Russell, better known as the Sky King. After taking off, an air traffic controller said, He needs some help controlling his aircraft. Russell responded: Nah, I mean, I dont need that much help. I just want you to whisper sweet nothings into my ear, said Rich, who claimed he could fly the plane because he played video games. Men in the UK, aged 20 to 49, are more likely to die from . For Richard Russell. I lift a lot of bags. I dont want to hurt no one. Quite a scary experience. Magazines, Digital . Others said it was wrong to glorify him for an act that could have killed more people. Richard Russell Steals a Horizon Air Q400 (Exclusive New Footage), On August 10, 2018, a Horizon ground operations employee by the name of Richard Bryan Russell Jr., stole a $32,000,000 Horizon Q400 airplane, N449QX, from the Cargo 1 / Line 1 area at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Authorities said they did not believe he had a pilots license. Russell flew wild loops over Puget Sound, screamed low over frightened onlookers and had existential and, at turns, bizarre chats with air traffic controllers as two Air Force F-15 jets gave chase. 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. Thats McChord field, the controller tells Richard Russell. pic.twitter.com/ziBAYv7cgn, Jimmy Thomson (@jwsthomson) August 11, 2018. Richard Russell Plane Crash Video From Seattle, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Ive played some video games before.. 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.. August 12, 2018 1:05 PM EDT. Many people online compared the incident to 2018's incident with Richard Russell, calling Patterson "Sky King 2.0" or "Sky King 2. Russell was active in his local community, serving as a leader at Young Life, a Christian youth ministry. I was born in Key West, Florida, and moved to Wasilla, Alaska when I was 7. "[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. People like me dont do things like that. Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) August 11, 2018, People posted photos and videos to Twitter of a plume of smoke and possible crash site. That means I lift a lot of bags so many bags, he says. The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. Meanwhile, various tributes to Russell were uploaded to YouTube (shown below). Its burned quite a bit faster than I expected., He also said, Im gonna land it, in a safe kind of manner. Seattle-Tacoma Intl. Monteith stated the men told him they were training to use the aircraft's auxiliary power unit so they could tow it, but said it was "suspicious" that they left when he confronted them. 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. 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. A black family confronts a 70-year-old killing and a white mans exoneration, A Horizon Air employee described as suicidal stole an empty plane at Seattles airport and crashed it into a nearby island on Aug. 10. He was very, very friendly automatically willing to bring everyone in, Hannah Holmes, who also participates in Young Life, told The Seattle Times. We love you bud. Pilot said it was most bizarre thing hed heard in his career. Videos of the plane being followed by two F-15 fighter jets started going viral online as the story broke. [46][47], N449QX, the aircraft involved in the incident, pictured 2 months before the crash. These statements should probably be considered the emotional projections of similarly disaffected people. As part of his job, Patterson was responsible for fuelling the aircraft. 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. After listening many times to the recordings, I found his voice - alternately warm, scared, and funny - to . Aw man, those guys would rough me up if I tried landing there, Rich says. This video is not meant to glamorize suicide. Sky King (RE-POST with new footage) || The Day an Airline Employee However, late in the evening of August 10, 2018, tower audio indicated that some planes were being released. Terrorism was ruled out, and Russell was found to have acted alone. He had psychotic depression. Horizon Q4 prop hijacked by unauthorized person not a pilot. 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. Beck said the aerial maneuvers were "incredible" and that he "did not know how [Russell] achieved the experience that he did. The video starts with images of what its like to work as a baggage handler for an airline, sometimes in the rainy weather. Rich, you said you had 2100 pounds of fuel left? the controller responded. (More info in comments) 2 years ago today, Richard Russell, an - reddit Now a family is left to reckon with tragedy, while strangers find grim inspiration in his final act. 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. The flight data recorder may show how well Russell managed the aircrafts myriad functions. The majority of the memes are in celebration and memorial of Russell, while others are more trollish shitposts. Preliminary info is that a mechanic from unknown airlines stole plane. Richard "SkyKing" Russell Sticker by BogTron - Redbubble Beebo was loved by everyone because he was kind and gentle to each person he met. Rest in peace Rich. I got a lot of people that care about me. Richard Russell had a website that appears to have been for a college communications class. Russell said on the aviation audio, This is probably jail time for life, huh? Sky King Richard Russell Quotes - Wise Famous Quotes Although he was born in Key West, Fla. he moved to Wasilla when he was 7, according to a website he made in 2017. He sounds like a broken man who needed help. Polices ,ambulances ,& fire trucks are everywhere. The man who stole a commercial aeroplane in Seattle, and took his life by crashing it, has become a folk hero to neo-Nazi groups and incels, drafted into a poisonous delusion that is becoming mainstream. "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?" People expressed an emotional connection with him through postings on social media, T-shirts, and tribute songs. Someone plucked a bag off a conveyor belt. On July 2, 1982, a . 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. How Psychologically Conditioned Rats Are Defusing Landmines, The Innate Intelligence Observed in the Dying Process, 6 Signs That Youre Depressed and Ignoring It. Richard Houck, "Sky King" | Counter-Currents We decided to sell and move in 2015, because we were both so far removed from our families. 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. He worked at the airline for more than three years, authorities said. The cockpit recordings are widely available online and it would be hard not to feel compassion while listening to them. Its not clear how he pulled off the intense maneuvers captured on video. 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. 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. 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. #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. SeaTac air traffic control made radio contact with Russell, the sole occupant, who described himself as a "broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess." Ah, Rich, dont say stuff like that, the controller said. Hey all! On behalf of the family, we are stunned and heartbroken. Russell took the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop from the northeast corner of the airport, according to the Times. Seattle ground Horizon guy. Richard Russell: Family of man who stole plane 'stunned and heartbroken' An airline employee conducted an unauthorized takeoff without passengers at Sea-Tac; aircraft has crashed in south Puget Sound. A former coworker, Rick Christenson, told The Seattle Times: He was a quiet guy. Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. Its not clear whether Russell, 29, had ever really flown a plane before. 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. Would love your thoughts, please comment. The Port of Seattle released the video. Or that he appeared to be a happy, regular guy. I wouldn't want to do that. About to take off. Footage of Russell performing the barrel roll was captured on video by Facebook[2] user John Waldron. [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]. Richard Russell, AKA Rich or Beebo Russell, was named as the airport mechanic who stole a Horizon plane at Sea-Tac and crashed it. Britain is in the grip of a male suicide crisis. He also posted audio clips of interviews he conducted to SoundCloud for what appears to have been a multimedia college class.