This story has been shared 110,450 times. He also posted audio clips of interviews he conducted to SoundCloud for what appears to have been a multimedia college class. My names Richard Russell, Im 27 and currently living in Sumner, WA with my incredible wife Hannah. I feel really bad for Richard and for his family. Sep 09, 2022 at 02:47PM EDT Nah, I'm a white guy. Confirmed info .. this is a single suicide male. ", Currently we have a 29yr old who stole this plane & is threatening to crash it into something. Plane is a Q4. Audio from the SeaTac tower reported that aircraft were lined up on the tarmac at one point. [37], Horizon Air CEO Gary Beck stated that, as far as the company knew, Russell did not have a pilot's license. 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 . (If you need help, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.). An airline employee conducted an unauthorized takeoff without passengers at Sea-Tac; aircraft has crashed in south Puget Sound. My logo draft will be a generic suit case with minimalistic travel stickers, encircled by the text: Russell Hustle. 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 . This story has been shared 176,044 times. In 2018, a Horizon Air employee, Richard Russell, stole a plane with no prior flying experience, making international headlines. Rich, you said you had 2100 pounds of fuel left? the controller responded. That means I lift a lot of bags so many bags, he says. He could have envisioned an aerial joyride and return to the ground. Hannah and Beebo met at a Campus Crusade for Christ gathering at Southwestern Oregon Community College last year, the site reported. [1][7][8][9] In response, two McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagles of the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Fighter Wing under the command of NORAD[10] were scrambled at around 20:15 local time[11] from Portland Air National Guard Base to intercept it. He grins in selfies at work. ATC said, "they would give you a job doing anything if you could pull this off", to which he replied, "Yeah right! Many saw Russell as a man suffering from depression and sympathized with him. Russell, a ground services worker for Horizon Air, was permitted to get very close to passenger aircraft. He went sightseeing along the Olympic mountain range. The wife of an airline employee who hijacked a plane in Seattle had recorded their seven happy years of marriage on Instagram, calling him 'the man who keeps me laughing'.. Richard Russell has . "[43] Some co-workers said that Russell had probably trained himself to fly using amateur flight simulation software. "[16][19] He added that he "wasn't really planning on landing it. Filed under Mourners gathered in the comments section of his YouTube video. More information as we learn more, Alaska Airlines wrote on Twitter around 9:20 p.m. on the west coast. Cast Your Vote To Select The Meme Of The Month! He flew around as an air traffic controller calmly tried to reason with him. Richard Russell, who dreamed of being in the military and once ran a bakery with his wife, was identified as the suicidal airport ground services worker who stole an airplane from Sea-Tac International Airport 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. After Russell performed an unauthorized takeoff, two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle . TikTok Influencers Son Murdered at Gas Station. 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.. Yeah I dont know what the burnageis like on a takeoff but yeah. 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. Many people online compared the incident to 2018's incident with Richard Russell, calling Patterson "Sky King 2.0" or "Sky King 2. You can watch the video above. I love my parents and sister this isn't your fault. Luke Adams ? The cockpit recordings are widely available online and it would be hard not to feel compassion while listening to them. Theres something wrong with all of us. But after that apology, oblivion seemed like the only option left to him. On October 6, 1993, now aged 44, he hiked into the Angeles National Forest and died by self-inflicted gunshot. 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. I was born in Key West, Florida, and moved to Wasilla, Alaska when I was 7. How Psychologically Conditioned Rats Are Defusing Landmines, The Innate Intelligence Observed in the Dying Process, 6 Signs That Youre Depressed and Ignoring It. His conversation and tone is very casual. The final descent at Ketron Island was determined to be intentional, and suicide was listed as the manner of death. [12] Flights in and out of SeaTac Airport were temporarily suspended. You can listen to all of his SoundCloud clips here. Russell, the sole occupant during the flight, did not survive. An airline employee conducted an unauthorized takeoff without passengers at Sea-Tac; aircraft has crashed in south Puget Sound. Below are some of the clips. Preliminary info is that a mechanic from unknown airlines stole plane. Sadly, he did not survive much longer at all. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. 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. But there appears to be no manifesto, no digital trail of warning signs from Russell. 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 . [6], The aircraft was stolen from Plane Cargo 1 at the north end of SeaTac Airport[6] and maneuvered to runway 16C via taxiways. We are working back ground on him now, the Pierce County Sheriff wrote. 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. Polices ,ambulances ,& fire trucks are everywhere. At one point in the dramatic audio, Richard Russell told the tower he was losing an engine. [33], On November 9, the FBI stated that it had completed its investigation. After he landed, Mr. Walters was arrested and charged with unlawful operation of an aircraft within a controlled air traffic area. He was a faithful husband, a loving son, and a good friend, Mike Mathews read from the statement at a press conference. About to take off. This is not a terrorist incident. 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.. 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. Rich, you said you had 2100 pounds of fuel left? the controller responded. At another point, he says he's going to try to "do a barrel roll." Hey, I found myself in a predicament. Russell, the sole occupant of the aircraft, perished in the crash. 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. Normal operations at Sea-Tac Airport have resumed. The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long, another said. SKY KING 2: RETURN OF THE SKY KING https://t.co/2Uk1sA2oXQ. Who is the aircraft on Runway 1-6 center? an air traffic controller can be heard saying. As users on Twitter and 4chan shared and discussed the story and further learned about Russell through the conversations with air traffic control and subsequent articles about his life, they deemed him "Sky King" as a title of respect. Because I am a clinical psychologist, people come up to me after a news event like this and ask my opinion. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt. In the article, Russell described himself as laid back and easy going. However, late in the evening of August 10, 2018, tower audio indicated that some planes were being released. 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 . [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. 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. [27], The Pierce County Sheriff's Office both thanked the public for its accurate information, and acknowledged on August 11 that federal agencies would be leading the investigation, primarily the Seattle office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Or that he appeared to be a happy, regular guy. Now video was released. Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. [39] He was an avid traveler and attended Washington State University Global Campus, majoring in social science. (@luketadams) August 11, 2018. Pilots kept plane out of harms way and people on ground safe. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC, Psychology and the Mystery of the "Poisoned" Schoolgirls. To the consternation of friends gathered to witness the launch, he quickly ascended out of sight and climbed to an altitude of 16,000 feet. Before he took off, several people at the airport questioned what was going on. A childhood friend remarked that Beebo was loved by everyone because he was kind and gentle to each person he met. The plane started moving, but Russell jumped in the plane and took off. If he was bipolar and did that, then I dont have to worry about doing that, because Im not bipolar. That is something that they do. [7], SeattleTacoma air traffic control (ATC) maintained radio contact with the occupant. The fighter jets were scrambled from Portland. Never really knew it, until now, Richard Russell said at one point. Well chalk it up to that. 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.. According to suicide prevention expert, Dr. Christine Moutier, middle-aged White men account for 70% of deaths from suicide each year. He is flying around the airport, he does not know how to land it. Goodbye" (shown below, left). Thats McChord field, the controller tells Richard Russell. in. Mona Lazar. At another point, Richard Russell said, Im down to 2100; I started at like 30-something.. Its burned quite a bit faster than I expected., He also said, Im gonna land it, in a safe kind of manner. Hours prior, he posted a message on Facebook that seemed to imply he was going to commit suicide, writing, "Sorry everyone. He and his wife Hannah started a bakery in Oregon in their early 20s, according to a 2012 story in a local paperthat depicted a happy, determined couple. Public acts of violence such as mass shootings often reflect the perpetrators troubled, dark past. 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. As the voice recordings show, Beebos intent was not to harm anyone and he was right in saying that there are so many people who love him.. At one point, Rich asked for help in getting the cabin depressurized, complaining he was getting lightheaded. Richard Russell was a suicidal airport ground services worker who stole an airplane from Sea-Tac International Airport. Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose I guess. "[21] When an air traffic controller requested he land the plane after this maneuver, he said "I don't know. The new footage appears to show Russell wearing a shirt that reads "The Sky's No Limit . Stay tuned., Another indicated, Seatac airspace closed. It was a strange day when Horizon Airlines Employee Richard "Beebo" Russell stole a plane in the middle of his working shift. Richard Russell had a website that appears to have been for a college communications class. 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. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt. In the article, Russell described himself as laid back and easy going. If you or someone you know may be contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The video was widely circulated online and by major news publications (shown below). Never knew he was fighting a battle non of us knew about. Mr. Russell chatted, not too calmly, but coherently, with an air traffic controller during his solo flight. An airline employee conducted an unauthorized takeoff without passengers at Sea-Tac; aircraft has crashed in south Puget Sound. Happening right now. 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. [12] His flight pattern was also shared online, with Twitter[13] user @RMaons writing, "SKY KING 2.0 ON FLIGHT RADAR, AIRCRAFT IS CALLED KING AIR LOOOL" (shown below, right). 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. 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. They are grounding all planes and waiting. 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. 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. My names Richard Russell, Im 27 and currently living in Sumner, WA with my incredible wife Hannah. quote: On August 10, 2018, a Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 was stolen from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) in Seattle, Washington. 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. What have I done? Hijacker does not know how to land the plane. 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. Im going to disappoint them to hear that I did this. Russell was well-liked by his co-workers, according to The Seattle Times. 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. Human remains were recovered from the site, the FBI said Sunday, and Russell is presumed dead in the crash. 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). In a video he posted for a college class in December, Russell joked about the sometimes mundane duties of his job. He also had a pellet gun, with which he eventually shot several of the balloons, beginning his slow descent. No one else is thought to have been injured or killed, and the fighter jets did not fire on him, authorities said. Never really knew it until now. When I arrived, he was in the kitchen, in the middle of his Sunday morning ritual of cleaning his cleaning supplies. He was always smiling.. Apparently someone stole a Horizon Q and is flying it over SeaTac. 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. You went out the way most of us dream, one user wrote. This is a Tribute Video to the late Richard Russell, better known as the Sky King. 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. The federal agencies will lead the investigation. Or he could have had grim plans to take his own life. 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. Audio captured emotional conversations between the man, named as Rich, and air traffic controllers trying to help him land safely. He then boards an empty 70-seater plane and took off. 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. 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. Normal operations at Sea-Tac Airport have resumed, the airport wrote. Never really knew it, until now.". Here's the full story. We are aware of an incident involving an unauthorized take-off of a Horizon Air Q400. A former coworker, Rick Christenson, told The Seattle Times: He was a quiet guy. [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. We are devastated by these events and Jesus is truly the only one holding this family together right now. pic.twitter.com/5z4BYRBrcU, Kierra Elfalan (@KierraElfalanTV) August 12, 2018. Residents of the island bore some of the cost for cleaning up, and negotiations were initiated for their reimbursement by Alaska Airlines' insurers. [5] Seattle Tower tried several times to get the pilot of the aircraft to identify himself on frequency, but received no response. 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." I wouldn't want to do that. SeaTac airport., Morgan Chesky, a reporter for KOMO News, wrote, Per JBLM source: After being contacted by F-15s, stolen plane began to nose dive, crashing in north Pierce County., NTSB investigator Debra Eckrote held a Saturday morning press conference, the day after the crash, and indicated that investigators are trying to determine what his process was and where the aircraft was going. She identified Rich as ground support so, you know, they have access to aircraft, and described it as lucky that the plane crashed on a very underpopulated island.. On social media, Richard Russell used the name Beebo Russell. (If you need help, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.). [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.