I hope they can make it through this.". Cooper? But the plane made turns and aerobatic maneuvers that suggest some skill, she said. Photos show first responders that night sleeping outside on the ground. On Friday, Horizon Air ground service agent .css-3wjtm9{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.125rem;text-decoration-color:#1c6a65;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-3wjtm9:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Richard B. Russell got in one of the airlines Bombardier Q400 aircraft and took off from Seattles SeaTac Airport. The NTSB is now processing the equipment. . 2023 Cox Media Group. The body camera and cell phone video shows firefighters climbing through dense brush and fallen trees to get to the crash site on Ketron Island. Its not yet known exactly what pre-existing psychological conditions Russell may have had, but in the course of his conversation with air traffic controllers he expresses racial resentment. No one noticed the plane had disappeared until Mr Russell was in the air. Richard Russell: Man who stole SeaTac plane was warm and compassionate After the plane approached Ketron Island, Waldron saw a thick column of smoke followed by a loud explosion, he said. He said flying was a "blast" and that he didn't need much help: "I've played some video games before.". He's worked at Horizon longer than I did, and he still wasn't making $15 an hour, Reeves said. His 75-minute flight during the golden twilight took him south and west, toward the Olympic Mountains. CNN's Kyung Lah reports. The incident, which the FBI's Seattle office did not consider terrorism, raises questions about airport security. Richard Russell, 'Rich': 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know 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.". The FBI has recovered the flight data recorder and components of the cockpit voice recorder from the Horizon aircraft that crashed onto Ketron Island Friday night. Having to rely on the ferry system for transport, the first 40 responding firefighters stayed at the scene throughout the night. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Like a lot of bags. SEATAC, Wash. - It was a shocking scene above the Puget Sound, as Horizon Airlines employee Richard Russell stole and flew a turboprop from Sea-Tac Airport while air traffic tried to talk him . Earlier in the flight, Russell says: "This is probably, like, jail time for life, huh? Family and friends try to reconcile Richard Russell's action with the "He was a quiet guy," Rick Christenson, an operational supervisor with the airline who retired in Maytold The Seattle Times. "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. Ultimately the FBI determined that Mr Russell intentionally brought the airplane into a dive onto a small island in Puget Sound, where he died. "You think if I land this successfully, Alaska will give me a job as a pilot?" "Russell had a few unexcused absences, but nothing considered significant.". Meyer had recently been passed over for promotion and had been arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Richard Russell: 'Heartbroken' family of Seattle airline employee - CNN Russell, 29 is presumed dead. In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt. Russell had no piloting experience, but he managed . The tower alerted the Portland Air National Guard base, which dispatched a group of US Air Force F-15s to intercept the rouge aircraft. He was in the air for about an hour. Neither the men nor the plane has ever been seen again. Richard Russell, who stole plane from Sea-Tac, acted alone, crashed on Without communicating to air traffic controllers, he cut off another airplane and then managed to get the plane onto the runway and airborne. CCTV Footage Shows Baggage Handler Stealing Plane, Crashes On Island - TMZ Horizon's parent company, Alaska Airlines, refused to comment on claims of workers being overworked or underpaid. I feel really bad for Richard and for his family. Despite the timing of the crash during prime fire season, the fires in the video seemed to be small and scattered. Airline officials believe he was in uniform and worked a shift Friday, Tilden said. The plane had been parked in a maintenance area and was not scheduled for a passenger flight, Tilden said. Richard Russell: quiet, well-liked Seattle airport worker who stole a plane Video captures Richard Russell doing tricks in stolen Horizon Air plane Russell's family said in a statement that they were stunned and heartbroken. He said he wanted to create projects showing the contrast between his hard work on the ground and his high-flying free time traveling the globe. Plus we let you know whats going on locally with Lee Callahans Jacktivities! The plane was a Bombardier Q400, a turboprop that seats 76 people, owned by Horizon Air, part of Alaska Airlines. The job of a ground service agent includes directing aircraft for takeoff and gate approach, handling baggage and tidying and de-icing planes, authorities said. Win Your Trip to Our 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards! Also see | 'I was blown away': Stepbrother of man who stole plane speaks out. "If you're going to access the aircraft you make sure that you check with someone else, and that someone else (will confirm) that you have the right authority to get onto that aircraft.". Russell took the Q400 from a cargo area at the north end of Sea-Tac Airport on August 10. "Oh man. Airline and Seattle airport officials revealed the following at a news conference Saturday: In audio recordings of the incident posted on Broadcastify, Russell can be heard talking to air traffic controllers as they try to guide him to land the plane. Video released to KOMO News from the Port of Seattle capture the final moments of Richard Russell who took a Horizon Air plane from SeaTac Airport without authorization, performed acrobatic. We deliver the best in breaking news, live video coverage, original journalism and segments from your favorite NBC News Shows.Connect with NBC News Online!NBC News App: https://smart.link/5d0cd9df61b80Breaking News Alerts: https://link.nbcnews.com/join/5cj/breaking-news-signup?cid=sm_npd_nn_yt_bn-clip_190621Visit NBCNews.Com: http://nbcnews.to/ReadNBCFind NBC News on Facebook: http://nbcnews.to/LikeNBCFollow NBC News on Twitter: http://nbcnews.to/FollowNBC#Surveillance #Horizonair #hijacking Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The cause of the crash wasn't immediately known, but the F-15s did not bring the plane down, Eckrote said. Playing What We Want In Seattle! Richard Russell, 29, walks through employee security screening at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Aug. 12, 2018. The jets were not involved in the crash, it said. Find flight for cheapWith its premium plus plan, youll be able to browse flight deals going for up to 90% off in business, premium economy, and economy class. Padilla and an a recently hired assistant boarded the plane, taxied it to the runway, took off, and head out over the Atlantic Ocean. A video made by Richard Russell, the man who just stole a plane. "Last night's event is going to push us to learn what we can from this tragedy so that we can ensure this does not happen again at Alaska Air Group or at any other airline," Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Airlines, told a news conference Saturday. 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. Domestic Flights, Airplane Door Rips Open Midflight on Russian Plane, Airport Worker Ingested Into Jet Engine, Dies, The Concorde Disaster, Battle Tanks, and More. I was kinda hoping that was going to be it. Videos Show Richard Russell's Final Moments Before Shocking Plane Crash One sketch that he posted included a drawing of a Q400 plane, the same kind of plane involved in Friday's crash. Video from Friday showed the Horizon Air Q400 doing large loops and other dangerous maneuvers as the sun set on the Puget Sound. New video shows crash site of stolen plane | CNN Other pilots and SeaTac's tower exchange information about Mr Russell as they quickly realise that something unusual is going on. 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. FBI released more information about Russell and the incident earlier this year, including witness statements from family, friends, and co-workers. In a statement, the family says Richard Russell, whose nickname was "Beebo," was warm, kind and gentle. 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. Like a lot of bags. Nah, Im a white guy.. The plane was a Q400, a Bombardier turboprop plane, one of about 40 the airline has in its fleet. An air traffic controller called him "Rich," and tried to convince him to land the airplane. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. He later stole the plane and eventually crashed it into an island in Puget Sound. 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. Witnesses described the surreal scene after the plane left the airport.