Facebook Richard Russell plane crash video was released. We had a ground stop for quite a while here, a dispatcher says. Richard Russell had a website that appears to have been for a college communications class. The final descent at Ketron Island was determined to be intentional, and suicide was listed as the manner of death. Yeah I dont know what the burnageis like on a takeoff but yeah. When I heard that Mr. Russells aircraft had gone down, I thought, The poor bastard. And then I thought, How many tens of thousands of people are out there who are just like him?, Larry Walters and Rich Russell were people just like us. Reviewed by Ekua Hagan. Britain is in the grip of a male suicide crisis. 7 things to know", "One year after stolen Horizon plane crash, scars remain on Ketron Island", "FBI releases classified documents from 2018 Horizon Air plane theft, crash", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2018_Horizon_Air_Q400_incident&oldid=1136228770, This page was last edited on 29 January 2023, at 10:06. Here's the full story. Just kind of soaring around, he told air traffic control. Cast Your Vote To Select The Meme Of The Month! Meanwhile, various tributes to Russell were uploaded to YouTube (shown below). We decided to sell and move in 2015, because we were both so far removed from our families. People expressed an emotional connection with him through postings on social media, T-shirts, and tribute songs. He could have envisioned an aerial joyride and return to the ground. [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 is impossible to encompass who he was in a press release. 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. 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. 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 4chan,[7][8] threads dedicated to Russell were submitted over the next several days, many of which contained photoshops, image macros and fan arts praising the incident and referring to Russell as "Sky King" (shown below). For Richard Russell. The footage shows him going through security wearing a T-shirt that says "the sky's no limit." Human remains were recovered from the site, the FBI said Sunday, and Russell is presumed dead in the crash. 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. Hello, Love. [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. 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. "[17] He asked ATC if he could get a job as a pilot with Alaska Airlines if he successfully landed the aircraft. He was 29 years old and a member of the ground crew at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport, earning minimum wage. After performing the stunt, along with other maneuvers, the plane crashed on Ketron Island in the Puget Sound. The libs are trying to solve the housing crisis in deep blue areas by having teachers live with their students. in correct chronological orderthis took pIace over about 75 minutes. About to take off. He said of himself that, Ive got a lot of people that care about me. Men in the UK, aged 20 to 49, are more likely to die from . Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose I guess. Oh, a purple one! Russell exclaimed. He carried with him a CB radio, sandwiches, beer, and a camera. The hardest part of stealing a commercial plane from an international airport was already over for Richard Russell. He went sightseeing along the Olympic mountain range. Polices ,ambulances ,& fire trucks are everywhere. 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. Its burned quite a bit faster than I expected., He also said, Im gonna land it, in a safe kind of manner. I'm listening through the archive of the radio chatter on the #seatac hijacking. #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. Russell, the sole occupant during the flight, did not survive. 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. 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. Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) August 11, 2018, People posted photos and videos to Twitter of a plume of smoke and possible crash site. 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. On Facebook, he had liked the Republican Party and conservative personalities like Sean Hannity and Ben Shapiro. Our first date, he kind of cornered me into it, Hannah Russell said to the site. The general feeling was, "It is a wonder that more of us don't crack from the tedium and meaninglessness of our consumer culture." He worked at the airline for more than three years, authorities said. Full video form John Waldron on Facebook being shown on CNN #seatac pic.twitter.com/R98bl5uQBr. [37], Horizon Air CEO Gary Beck stated that, as far as the company knew, Russell did not have a pilot's license. A 2012 article in the World described how Russell met his wife. The video was widely circulated online and by major news publications (shown below). Hours prior, he posted a message on Facebook that seemed to imply he was going to commit suicide, writing, "Sorry everyone. Hearing Mr. Russell speak during his final hour is an emotional experience. In the audio clips, Russell calls himself "broken" and says he knows how to fly a little bit thanks to video games. After Russell performed an unauthorized takeoff, two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle . 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. "Got a few screws loose, I guess. He had planned to seek a management position at Horizon Air or become a military officer after receiving his degree. Male is confirmed a suicidal male. Periodically, his voice cut into the dispatches. 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. Now video was released. After listening many times to the recordings, I found his voice - alternately warm, scared, and funny - to . I met my husband when a friend sent him over to my house to cure my hiccoughs. Other video shows him clocking in to work. Magazines, Digital All Rights Reserved. To impress a woman, he arrived in a helicopter to take her on a classified mission, officials said. [36] He had been part of a tow team, which repositions aircraft on the airport apron, for about four years. [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]. Because I am a clinical psychologist, people come up to me after a news event like this and ask my opinion. What now? The Pierce County Sheriff wrote on Twitter, Stolen horizon airplane crashed into Ketron island. We know who he is. This dives into the psychology and reason of why he Hi-jacked a plane and then crashed into his death. Airport (@flySEA) August 11, 2018. 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. "[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. Will many of us have a better story to tell when we get to wherever were going, one Reddit user saidin a thread. 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. We are working back ground on him now, the Pierce County Sheriff wrote. 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. I met Hannah in Coos Bay, Oregon in 2010 while we were both going to school, the about me section says. Glenn Sullivan, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at the Virginia Military Institute and a clinical psychologist in private practice in Lexington, Virginia. Theyre not as easy to fly as, say, a Cessna 150, Beck said. Rainier. He was a quiet and well-liked young man who was active in his church. (Video: Elyse Samuels/The Washington Post). He was a faithful husband, a loving son, and a good friend, Mike Mathews read from the statement at a press conference. 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. Theres something wrong with all of us. U.S. Airlines Are Editing Their Websites to Remove Taiwan's Name at China's Request, What America's Richest Ski Town's Handling of COVID-19 Shows. 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. 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. 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. I wouldn't want to do that. He is not a pilot and does not know how to land the plane. We believe there are no passengers on board. Sea-Tac Airport (@SeaTacAirport) August 11, 2018. We were married one year later, and one month after that we opened a bakery which we successfully ran for 3 years, he explained on his website of his wife. At one point, Rich asked for help in getting the cabin depressurized, complaining he was getting lightheaded. On YouTube, he also went by the name Beebo Russell. One man wrote on Twitter, 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. This story has been shared 176,044 times. Richard Russell was a suicidal airport ground services worker who stole an airplane from Sea-Tac International Airport. But there appears to be no manifesto, no digital trail of warning signs from Russell. Among the memes are images of Wojaks veering off into the sunset alongside quotes from Russell, a selfie of Russell sitting in the cockpit of the plane and video edits using audio clips from the conversation between Russell and the air traffic controller mixed with sad music and effects to emphasize the tragedy behind the event. Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose I guess. He was a faithful husband, a loving son, and a good friend. [37] From early childhood he was known as "Beebo" to his friends and family. Would love your thoughts, please comment. A childhood friend remarked that Beebo was loved by everyone because he was kind and gentle to each person he met. You can watch the video above. In 1993, Lawnchair Larry Walters was named an At-Risk Survivor in the annual Darwin Awards. Sadly, he did not survive much longer at all. An airline employee conducted an unauthorized takeoff without passengers at Sea-Tac; aircraft has crashed in south Puget Sound. I would like to apologize to each and every one of them. 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. #seatac pic.twitter.com/OVtJqphgqo. This is not a terrorist incident. "Guides" Magazines, stole a plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Or create a free account to access more articles, 'Beebo Was Loved By Everyone.' 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. On August 10th, 2018, a service agent for Horizon Air named Richard "Beebo" Russell used his position to steal a Horizon Air Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 airliner from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The incident spawned numerous image macros, photoshops and fan arts on 4chan and other online communities. He then boards an empty 70-seater plane and took off. 2007-2023 Literally Media Ltd. They opened a bakery and ran it for three years before selling it in 2015 to be closer to Hannahs family. I dont need that much help; Ive played some video games before, he told the controllers trying to help him. People contended that he didnt want to die "he just wanted to feel alive for once in his life.. He was married and completing a bachelors degree. 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. He spun a plane around Friday evening without raising suspicion and climbed aboard with 76 empty seats behind him. On August 11th, 2018, a post about the plane crash was submitted to 4chan's /pol/ board,[1] where an anonymous user replied "Sky King?" Heres hoping that the next Rich crashes on a couch of a good listener. He is flying around the airport, he does not know how to land it. About. We believe there are no passengers on board. 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. This dives into the psychology and reason of why he Hi-jacked a plane and . Normal operations at Sea-Tac Airport have resumed, the airport wrote. Beebo was loved by everyone because he was kind and gentle to each person he met. This is a Tribute Video to the late Richard Russell, better known as the Sky King. I hope this prompts a nationwide discussion about mental healthcare overall. bit.ly/subAIRBOYD Various scanner recordings from liveatc.net and broadcastify.com SEA Ground, Tower, Departure/Approach. Literally Media Ltd. An airline employee conducted an unauthorized takeoff without passengers at Sea-Tac; aircraft has crashed in south Puget Sound. Human remains were recovered from the site, the FBI said Sunday, and Russell is presumed dead in the crash. Russell, the sole occupant of the aircraft, perished in the crash. He would have flipped overhead switches and set the propellers of the Bombardier Q400 spinning before he roared away from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Maybe that will grease the gears a little bit with the higher-ups, he said at another point. Richard Russell, AKA Rich, the man who took the Sea-Tac plane and crashed it. Oh- theyve probably got anti-aircraftnot quite ready to bring it down just yet. They deemed Russell the Sky King inspiring an outpouring of memes in his memorial and a possible . Defying attacks, arts return to Somalia with first TV drama in 30 years, Divorced and remarried, these Afghan women are outlaws under Taliban rule. "[34], Richard Russell was a Horizon Air ground service agent from Sumner, Washington. HiIm a ground service agent. [12] Flights in and out of SeaTac Airport were temporarily suspended. It was worth it, he said, to conveniently travel to Alaska, where he grew up, to visit family. You can listen to more archived aviation audio on the incident here, some of which captures the mans voice: The site Airline Geeks.com reported, Reports saying that two F-15s have intercepted an Alaska Air Q400, operated by Horizon Air., The Twitter page Royal S. King wrote, On a lake in Tacoma and 2 F-15 have intercepted at @AlaskaAir Q400 south of @SeaTacAirport. Another man wrote, @flytruenorth Are you following this story? But that flight was his last. The audio between the man known as Rich and air traffic controllers further captured his demeanor. (@luketadams) August 11, 2018. On July 2, 1982, a . 2023 TIME USA, LLC. Richard Russell had a website that appeared to have been for a college communications class. Gary Beck, CEO of Horizon Air, told The Seattle Times it was impressive that Russell pulled off incredible maneuvers like a barrel roll with no flying experience. 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. I dont want to hurt no one. Maybe that will grease the gears a little bit with the higher-ups, he said at another point. Around 9 PM Pacific Time on August 10th, a 29-year-old man named Richard Russell, stole a Q400 airplane from Seattle Tacoma International Airport and went for a joyride into the abyss. The equipment was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board for processing. A lot of the people he was helping were troubled kids.. They may not admit for a few days. [18] After the incident, Joel Monteith, a pilot for SkyWest Airlines, relayed to an emergency dispatcher that in 2017, he saw Russell and another man "pointing and flipping switches" in the cockpit of a SkyWest aircraft parked at SeaTac Airport. "[38], Russell was born in Key West, Florida, and moved to Wasilla, Alaska, at the age of seven. I sure married a nice pair of calves! she joked with a photo of the couple. This is a complete shock to us. He would take my shifts if I needed. "Nah, I'm a white guy." Russell, who was a ground service employee for Horizon Air and did not have a pilots license, took the twin-engine turboprop plane from a maintenance area where it was parked at the airport. On behalf of the family, we are stunned and heartbroken. 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. 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. 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. Hannah and Beebo met at a Campus Crusade for Christ gathering at Southwestern Oregon Community College last year, the site reported. An airline employee conducted an unauthorized takeoff without passengers at Sea-Tac; aircraft has crashed in south Puget Sound. Cast Your Vote To Select The Meme Of The Month! 2007-2023 Facebook pic.twitter.com/Ra4LcIhwfU. Or that he appeared to be a happy, regular guy. On his blog, Richard talks about how he and his wife once ran a bakery. Happy to read and share the best inspirational Sky King Richard Russell quotes, sayings and quotations on Wise Famous Quotes. Audio captured emotional conversations between the man, named as Rich, and air traffic controllers trying to help him land safely. 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. He and his wife had owned a bakery in Oregon but sold it to move closer to her family. Although he was born in Key West, Fla. he moved to Wasilla when he was 7, according to a website he made in 2017. 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. Stay tuned., Richard Russell, Rich: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Wish me luck! Authorities described him as suicidal.. I was dead set against it. Their business contained a sign that read, I have loved you with an everlasting love. in. Another called it cathartic and liberating.. A moniker quickly took hold, echoed by others. I lift a lot of bags. pic.twitter.com/ziBAYv7cgn, Jimmy Thomson (@jwsthomson) August 11, 2018. There wasnt anything particularly wrong with them. At one point during the exchange, Russell said he knew how to put the landing gear down but that I really wasnt planning on landing it. Russel also told the controller that he was just a broken man.. She posted a series of selfies showing the couple on various adventures. So many bags, he said. Ah, Rich, dont say stuff like that, the controller said. Normal operations at Sea-Tac Airport have resumed. [41] They sold the bakery in 2015 so his wife could be closer to her family; they settled in Sumner, Washington, and Russell found employment with Horizon Air. Its going to disappoint them to hear I did this, he hauntingly said before his death. Buy "Richard "SkyKing" Russell" by BogTron as a Sticker. Nine-tenths of them are from a lower socioeconomic class. Yeah I dont know what the burnageis like on a takeoff but yeah. by #iflyalaska #akedchat.. In the coming days, articles about the incident were published in The New York Times,[4] CBS News[6] and The Washington Post. How was he able to take off without being stopped? Nah, Im a white guy. That last line has caused some controversy online. Thats McChord field, the controller tells Richard Russell. He flew around as an air traffic controller calmly tried to reason with him. 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. Apparently someone stole a Horizon Q and is flying it over SeaTac. ATC said, "they would give you a job doing anything if you could pull this off", to which he replied, "Yeah right! 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.. 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. After five hours, he arrived in a tow vehicle near the plane. It was a lie. He was very, very friendly automatically willing to bring everyone in, Hannah Holmes, who also participates in Young Life, told The Seattle Times. The 2 Most Psychologically Incisive Films of 2022, The Surprising Role of Empathy in Traumatic Bonding, Two Questions to Help You Spot a Clingy Partner-to-Be. [37] During his communication with air traffic control, Russell made a complaint about wages, stating: "Minimum wage, we'll chalk it up to that. Or he could have had grim plans to take his own life. A football teammate suggested his mental instability had been caused by undiagnosed chronic traumatic encephalopathy that may have come from repeated concussions. Updated Nov 30, 2022 at 4:37pm. Videos of the plane being followed by two F-15 fighter jets started going viral online as the story broke. Old Medication, New Use: Can Prazosin Curb Drinking? 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. The Port of Seattle released the video. 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. Sea-Tac airport confirmed the plane was down a short time later. Sep 09, 2022 at 02:47PM EDT It seemed like he was well liked by the other workers. Seattle-Tacoma Intl. [28] It described the perpetrator, identified as 29-year-old Richard Russell,[29][30] as suicidal and said his actions did not constitute a "terrorist incident". As part of his job, Patterson was responsible for fuelling the aircraft. ", Currently we have a 29yr old who stole this plane & is threatening to crash it into something. The Sky King of Sea-Tac Airport. New footage has been released from a 2018 incident in which an airline ground service agent named Richard Russell stole a turboprop plane from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and crashed it into an island in the Puget Sound. The airline confirmed that an unauthorized take-off occurred. The plane was grounded for the night after returning from Victoria, B.C., which was its final scheduled flight of the day. Apparently someone stole a plane from SeaTac? Happening right now. Wife of Richard Russel, Hannahh Russel documented her seven-year-long marriage to the 29-year-old on Instagram ( Source : co ) "After failing to persuade Hannah of Alaska's awesomeness, we landed on Sumner due to its proximity to her family," he wrote in his blog. He was always smiling.. In a video he posted for a college class in December, Russell joked about the sometimes mundane duties of his job. Disclaimer: I am in no way proficient in the arts.. Now a family is left to reckon with tragedy, while strangers find grim inspiration in his final act.