skyking richard russell

He flew around as an air traffic controller calmly tried to reason with him. He has buzzed Mt Rainer and the Seattle area. First, it would provide a simple explanation that makes the incomprehensible seem comprehensible. 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. I dont need that much help; Ive played some video games before, he told the controllers trying to help him. After Russell performed an unauthorized takeoff, two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighters were scrambled to intercept the aircraft. | 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. 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. [39] He attended Wasilla High School, where he wrestled and competed in track and field. [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). He said of himself that, Ive got a lot of people that care about me. For Richard Russell | kirkforlatt There is the runway just about a mile off your right side, do you see that? 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. I'm listening through the archive of the radio chatter on the #seatac hijacking. He would have flipped overhead switches and set the propellers of the Bombardier Q400 spinning before he roared away from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Rick Christenson, who was previously an operational supervisor with Horizon Air and who watched Russells flight over Puget Sound, described Russell to the Times as a quiet guy. It seemed like he was well-liked by the other workers, Christenson said. 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. At one point, Rich asked for help in getting the cabin depressurized, complaining he was getting lightheaded. pic.twitter.com/ziBAYv7cgn, Jimmy Thomson (@jwsthomson) August 11, 2018. 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. 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. "[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. Footage of Patterson flying the plane went viral on social media and people quickly started comparing it to the 2018 Sky King incident. Powered by. [4][13] A KC-135R Stratotanker refueling tanker was also scrambled from Fairchild Air Force Base to support the F-15 flight. After he landed, Mr. Walters was arrested and charged with unlawful operation of an aircraft within a controlled air traffic area. (If you need help, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.). [20] They married in 2012. With this blog I hope to showcase all that Ive learned in Ms. Newmans Communications 210 class., His WordPress page includes a sketch that reads, Continuing with the theme of ground service work and travel benefits, I plan to create a simple logo that expresses both. Luke Adams ? Sea-Tac Airport (@SeaTacAirport) August 11, 2018. [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. Richard Russell was a suicidal airport ground services worker who stole an airplane from Sea-Tac International Airport. The incident aircraft was a Bombardier Q400, owned by Horizon Air (and operating for Alaska Airlines) with the registration N449QX[2][3][4] and serial number 4410. Videos of the plane being followed by two F-15 fighter jets started going viral online as the story broke. At one point, Rich asked for help in getting the cabin depressurized, complaining he was getting lightheaded. He somehow managed to execute a barrel roll and a few other aerobatic maneuvers before crashing the aircraft onto a sparsely populated island, killing only himself. They wont let anyone leave the airport while hes up there. Patch confirmed there was a security incident underway at SeaTac. The new footage appears to show Russell wearing a shirt that reads "The Sky's No Limit . According to suicide prevention expert, Dr. Christine Moutier, middle-aged White men account for 70% of deaths from suicide each year. Normal operations at Sea-Tac Airport have resumed, the airport wrote. It was worth it, he said, to conveniently travel to Alaska, where he grew up, to visit family. If you or someone you know may be contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The Pierce County Sheriff wrote on Twitter, Stolen horizon airplane crashed into Ketron island. Reviewed by Ekua Hagan. In the audio clips, Russell calls himself "broken" and says he knows how to fly a little bit thanks to video games. Mona Lazar. 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? Audio from the SeaTac tower reported that aircraft were lined up on the tarmac at one point. Below are some of the clips. "Got a few screws loose, I guess. What happened to Richard 'Beebo' Russell between Alaska and Washington Im in the air right now. 2007-2023 Literally Media Ltd. Tulepo Police Chief John Quaka told CNN that Patterson had "some flight instruction" but was still in training. 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. It had first flown in 2012 and was delivered new to Horizon Air in the same year. "[18] Hours prior, he posted a message on Facebook that seemed to imply he was going to commit suicide, writing, "Sorry everyone. Its not clear whether Russell, 29, had ever really flown a plane before. Hey, I found myself in a predicament. 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. Updated Nov 30, 2022 at 4:37pm. How I've Made $280k Selling Spreadsheets on Etsy. The Sky King of Sea-Tac Airport | Psychology Today 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. Even the small sections, most of it doesnt resemble a plane.. 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. Seattle plane hijacker Richard Russell's haunting final words Im going to disappoint them to hear that I did this. Since his famous flight, he had spent a lot of time hiking, reading the Bible, and volunteering with the Forest Service. 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. Yeah I dont know what the burnageis like on a takeoff but yeah. Facebook/YouTube Perhaps it was because the only life he seemed to have taken was his own. Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) August 11, 2018, People posted photos and videos to Twitter of a plume of smoke and possible crash site. Richard Russell had a website that appears to have been for a college communications class. On July 2, 1982, a . We believe there are no passengers on board. #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. [20] A veteran pilot said the maneuver "seemed pretty well executed, without either stalling or pulling the wings off. After five hours, he arrived in a tow vehicle near the plane. The Port of Seattle released the video. He went sightseeing along the Olympic mountain range. "Sky King" is a nickname given to 29-year-old ground service operator Richard Russell after he stole a Horizon Air Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 airliner from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) and died after crashing on Ketron Island in Puget Sound. 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 . On October 6, 1993, now aged 44, he hiked into the Angeles National Forest and died by self-inflicted gunshot. Britain is in the grip of a male suicide crisis. [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 think I might mess something up there too. What have I done? A football teammate suggested his mental instability had been caused by undiagnosed chronic traumatic encephalopathy that may have come from repeated concussions. So many bags, he said. 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. When I arrived, he was in the kitchen, in the middle of his Sunday morning ritual of cleaning his cleaning supplies. Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. I was dead set against it. Their business contained a sign that read, I have loved you with an everlasting love. 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. I sure married a nice pair of calves! she joked with a photo of the couple. [46][47], N449QX, the aircraft involved in the incident, pictured 2 months before the crash. And part of his job was to drive the tractor that backed the aircraft into position for takeoff. He had psychotic depression. 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. 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. Phillip Hamilton. I hope they can make it through this. He said that airline employees go through background checks. Rich, you said you had 2100 pounds of fuel left? the controller responded. Hearing Mr. Russell speak during his final hour is an emotional experience. [5] It was not scheduled to fly again that day. They are grounding all planes and waiting. A 2012 article in the World described how Russell met his wife. Richard Russell Plane Crash Video From Seattle, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Hey all! This story has been shared 110,450 times. Then, it segues into a montage of photos from Russells trips to Alaska, France, Ireland, and other places before ending with a scene from a family gathering. Knowing what you value will help you build the most meaningful life possible. [4] The New York Times Richard Russell Who Stole Plane Near Seattle Raises Troubling Security Questions, [5] The Washington Post Richard Russell Details emerge of a compassionate man after Seattle plane heist and fiery crash, [6] CBS News Richard Russell pilot of stolen Horizon Air plane had lighthearted tone before deadly crash, [10] CNN Pilot arrested after threatening to crash plane into Mississippi Walmart and eventually landing in a field, police say, [14] 4chan Pilot threatening to crash hijacked plane into Walmart in Tupelo, Mississippi, Not entirely sure whats happening. Nah, I'm a white guy. [37] From early childhood he was known as "Beebo" to his friends and family. I hope this prompts a nationwide discussion about mental healthcare overall. Why did I do it? The mans bizarre and ultimately doomed flight pushed fighter planes into action. An airline employee conducted an unauthorized takeoff without passengers at Sea-Tac; aircraft has crashed in south Puget Sound. Although investigators received information regarding Russell's background, possible stressors, and personal life, no element provided a clear motivation for Russell's actions. ", Currently we have a 29yr old who stole this plane & is threatening to crash it into something. by Aw man, those guys would rough me up if I tried landing there, Rich says. Public acts of violence such as mass shootings often reflect the perpetrators troubled, dark past. The airline confirmed that an unauthorized take-off occurred. According to Eckrote, the plane is highly fragmented and she said that a background investigation is underway to further clarify Richs motive. Oh- theyve probably got anti-aircraftnot quite ready to bring it down just yet. Now a family is left to reckon with tragedy, while strangers find grim inspiration in his final act. Authorities described him as suicidal.. bit.ly/subAIRBOYD Various scanner recordings from liveatc.net and broadcastify.com SEA Ground, Tower, Departure/Approach. Its going to disappoint them to hear I did this, he hauntingly said before his death. I was kind of hoping that was gonna be it, you know? I usually have to work outsidebut it allows me to do some pretty cool things too.. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. [33], On November 9, the FBI stated that it had completed its investigation. This dives into the psychology and reason of why he Hi-jacked a plane and then crashed into his death. The day of the incident, a thread on 4chan's /pol/[14] board about the incident gained over 470 posts. This video is not meant to glamorize suicide. 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. Sep 09, 2022 at 02:47PM EDT Well chalk it up to that. They opened a bakery and ran it for three years before selling it in 2015 to be closer to Hannahs family. This is a complete shock to us. ATC said, "they would give you a job doing anything if you could pull this off", to which he replied, "Yeah right! Russell had no formal training as a pilot and did not have his pilots license. Russells social media accounts have become funeral guestbooks, digitized for the world. 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). 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. 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.). I hope it doesnt ruin your day. Up until then, he had seemed torn between life and death, at least considering the possibility of attempting a landing or ditching the aircraft in the sea. This article was published more than4 years ago. I dont want to hurt no one. "[38], Russell was born in Key West, Florida, and moved to Wasilla, Alaska, at the age of seven. Lee Goldberg. Beebo was loved by everyone because he was kind and gentle to each person he met. But he mentioned video games during his recorded conversation with air traffic control, which some have taken as a reference to flight simulator software. 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. In 2018, a Horizon Air employee, Richard Russell, stole a plane with no prior flying experience, making international headlines. Audio captured emotional conversations between the man, named as Rich, and air traffic controllers trying to help him land safely. i cut the audio from a frequency hopper that caught some of what they said to each other. Its burned quite a bit faster than I expected., He also said, Im gonna land it, in a safe kind of manner. Or he could have had grim plans to take his own life. Others reported that the man had supposedly buzzed Mt. (More info in comments) 2 years ago today, Richard Russell, an - reddit The plane was grounded for the night after returning from Victoria, B.C., which was its final scheduled flight of the day. Never really knew it, until now.". Rest in peace Rich. Weird times., CBS News reporter Kris Van Cleave wrote, FAA sources say it appears an airline employee stole a Horizon Air Turbo Prop from SeaTac and took off and crashed Ketron Island outside Seattle. He shared a tweet from a woman named Victoria, who wrote, Sitting on a plane at SeaTac Airport, a Horizon employee just hijacked an airplane. This incredible true story is the inspiration for SkyKing, a video installation and project created in summer 2020. My names Richard Russell, Im 27 and currently living in Sumner, WA with my incredible wife Hannah. Family Left Heartbroken After Airline Worker Steals and Crashes Plane. 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. [6], The aircraft was stolen from Plane Cargo 1 at the north end of SeaTac Airport[6] and maneuvered to runway 16C via taxiways. There wasnt anything particularly wrong with them. I would like to apologize to each and every one of them. So I dont know how he achieved the experience that he did.. It was a lie. Others saw his opinions on certain topics as based. Richard Russell was a suicidal airport ground services worker who stole an airplane from Sea-Tac . Never really knew it, until now, Richard Russell said at one point. pic.twitter.com/ziBAYv7cgn, Jimmy Thomson (@jwsthomson) August 11, 2018. I hope they can make it through this. He said that airline employees go through background checks. He gradually drifted into controlled airspace near Los Angeles International Airport, causing some alarm both to the authorities and to the pilots of at least two commercial jets. This story has been shared 176,044 times. A 2012 article in the World described how Russell met his wife. She posted a series of selfies showing the couple on various adventures. The incident came to a tragic end when Russell intentionally crashed the plane into Ketron Island in Puget Sound, killing him. It seemed like he was well liked by the other workers. The cockpit recordings are widely available online and it would be hard not to feel compassion while listening to them. TikTok Influencers Son Murdered at Gas Station. I think I might mess something up there, too. 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). 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.. As Melville noted, We are all somehow dreadfully cracked about the head, and sadly need mending., Be wary of simple explanations of any human behavior, and of simple solutions for complex problems. The couple settled in Sumner, Wa., where Russell got a job at Horizon Air, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group, so he could easily fly back to Alaska to see his own family. Pilots kept plane out of harms way and people on ground safe. Im going to disappoint them to hear that I did this. An airline employee conducted an unauthorized takeoff without passengers at Sea-Tac; aircraft has crashed in south Puget Sound. [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". Im praying for #Rich tonightnot just the guy who stole a plane from #SeaTac, but every guy like Rich who (it seemsbut Ill admit Im assuming a lot here) is suffering and cannot find a better way out. But after that apology, oblivion seemed like the only option left to him. The hardest part of stealing a commercial plane from an international airport was already over for Richard Russell. [36] He had been part of a tow team, which repositions aircraft on the airport apron, for about four years. [20], On April 14, 2022, the FBI released 500 pages of previously classified documents related to the investigation. 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. About. It was a strange day when Horizon Airlines Employee Richard "Beebo" Russell stole a plane in the middle of his working shift. Authorities said they did not believe he had a pilots license. Unclear if passengers are on board. People contended that he didnt want to die "he just wanted to feel alive for once in his life.. He doesnt sound confident in his ability to land back at SeaTac. The story, despite seeming near-mythic, is true. Who Is The 'Sky King' Richard Russell And How Did He Earn His Title? [Im] just a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess. Sky King ~ Richard Russell on Vimeo Because I am a clinical psychologist, people come up to me after a news event like this and ask my opinion. Male is confirmed a suicidal male. A pair of F-15C jets were scrambled in response to Russells flight before he crashed one hour and 15 minutes after takeoff. [45] The aircraft was worth $30million, all of which was paid under the company's insurance policy "with no deductibles. At another point, Richard Russell said, Im down to 2100; I started at like 30-something.. On YouTube, he also went by the name Beebo Russell. Maybe that will grease the gears a little bit with the higher-ups, he said at another point. No one else is thought to have been injured or killed, and the fighter jets did not fire . Happening right now. 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. Old Medication, New Use: Can Prazosin Curb Drinking? His conversation and tone is very casual. Periodically, his voice cut into the dispatches. 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.. They were born, they laughed, they struggled, they loved, and they died. He played athletics in high school in Wasilla, Alaska. 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. [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. On LinkedIn, he wrote that he was owner/operator of Hannah Maries Bakery from 2012 through 2015 in North Bend, Oregon. Happy to read and share the best inspirational Sky King Richard Russell quotes, sayings and quotations on Wise Famous Quotes. Apparently someone stole a plane from SeaTac? My logo draft will be a generic suit case with minimalistic travel stickers, encircled by the text: Russell Hustle. Acted alone he is 29 year old Pierce county residence. "Heroes" - Peter Gabriel (shown below). Newly released CCTV footage captures the harrowing moment a Washington state airport employee stole an Alaska Airlines plane and took it for a joyride before fatally crashing it. Posted Sep 24, 2018. 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. [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]. #seatac., A woman named Robanne Stading wrote on Twitter, #seatac airport is on a ground halt because evidently a mechanic is flying an unauthorized flightseeing trip around the mtns. Seattle ground Horizon guy. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital I would like to apologize to each and every one of them. Magazines, Digital The episode has also suggested that Russell was more complicated than the easygoing persona of his known online footprint. We had a ground stop for quite a while here, a dispatcher says. On July 2, 1982, a 33-year-old truck driver named Larry Walters took flight in a patio chair attached to more than 40 helium-filled weather balloons. Beebos intent was not to harm anyone, and he was right in saying that there are so many people who loved him, Mathews said. Russell wrote that he was pursuing his Bachelor of Social Sciences and hoped to work his way up to a management position at Horizon Air or to join the military or law enforcement. Quite a scary experience. Sea-Tac airport confirmed the plane was down a short time later. Audio starts with another aircraft reporting the Q400 exiting the maintenance/cargo area and taking off without clearance. [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). 160. r/lostgeneration. 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 waitress, according to her social media account. 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. Sky King Richard Russell Quotes - Wise Famous Quotes Its burned quite a bit faster than I expected., He also said, Im gonna land it, in a safe kind of manner. RIP Rich. Listening to the audio recordings, I feel nothing but sadness for Rich, for the man who stole that plane at #SeaTac and committed suicide. At one point, Rich reported that he threw up all over the cockpit, according to the audio. Phone scammers tried to rob a grandma in Canada. They may not admit for a few days. 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 had planned to seek a management position at Horizon Air or become a military officer after receiving his degree. 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. Sea-Tac airport confirmed the plane was down a short time later. Russell took the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop from the northeast corner of the airport, according to the Times. But that flight was his last. Richard Russell, AKA Rich, the man who took the Sea-Tac plane and crashed it. Many saw Russell as a man suffering from depression and sympathized with him. Matilda Pick Up Lines, Articles S