skyking richard russell

[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. 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. But there appears to be no manifesto, no digital trail of warning signs from Russell. Now video was released. Im going to disappoint them to hear that I did this. 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. Nah, I'm a white guy. [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). [20], Videos and radio transmissions of the event were followed online, immediately sparking a meme dubbing Russell the "Sky King". [18] He was active in his church and a leader in the local Christian youth ministry Young Life. [4][6][9] A tow boat crew was the first to respond. The individual did use a pushback tractor to rotate the aircraft 180 degrees so he could then taxi the aircraft, Pohl said at the news conference Saturday. They said the family is moving forward with the difficult talk of processing our grief and asked for space to mourn. Pilots kept plane out of harms way and people on ground safe. [45] The aircraft was worth $30million, all of which was paid under the company's insurance policy "with no deductibles. I dont know how he achieved the experience that he did.. He would take my shifts if I needed. [36] He had been part of a tow team, which repositions aircraft on the airport apron, for about four years. 0:00. 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. Powered by. The majority of the memes are in celebration and memorial of Russell, while others are more trollish shitposts. Heres hoping that the next Rich crashes on a couch of a good listener. Perhaps it was because the only life he seemed to have taken was his own. The sketch on Richard Russells WordPress page. This story has been shared 176,044 times. 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. 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 . Another called it cathartic and liberating.. 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. Listening to the audio recordings, I feel nothing but sadness for Rich, for the man who stole that plane at #SeaTac and committed suicide. Russells social media accounts have become funeral guestbooks, digitized for the world. 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.. 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. Russell, a ground services worker for Horizon Air, was permitted to get very close to passenger aircraft. Hey all! 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. The statement, he added, was the only one that will be released. Rich, you said you had 2100 pounds of fuel left? the controller responded. He was on meth.. 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. At another point, Richard Russell said, Im down to 2100; I started at like 30-something.. Phillip Hamilton. 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. 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. The incident spawned numerous image macros, photoshops and fan arts on 4chan and other online communities. Tower, you need to call and scramble now, one pilot warned, according to the video. 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. Rainier. Lucas added, Theyve been in contact with the culprit. Richard Russell, AKA Rich or Beebo Russell, was named as the airport mechanic who stole a Horizon plane at Sea-Tac and crashed it. 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. [6], The aircraft was stolen from Plane Cargo 1 at the north end of SeaTac Airport[6] and maneuvered to runway 16C via taxiways. Mona Lazar. Never really knew it until now. Residents of the island bore some of the cost for cleaning up, and negotiations were initiated for their reimbursement by Alaska Airlines' insurers. Family friend Mike Matthews read a statement from Russells family that said the incident was a complete shock to them. [15] Near the end of the flight, the aircraft was seen performing a barrel roll over Puget Sound, recovering a mere ten feet (three meters) over the water. They turned him into a hero with the name, and with it came a lot of memes. 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.. Never really knew it, until now, Richard Russell said at one point. Others said it was wrong to glorify him for an act that could have killed more people. It was worth it, he said, to conveniently travel to Alaska, where he grew up, to visit family. I wouldn't want to do that. RIP Sky King, a user wrote. Theres something wrong with all of us. A moniker quickly took hold, echoed by others. Normal operations at Sea-Tac Airport have resumed, the airport wrote. 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. Richard Russell was a suicidal airport ground services worker who stole an airplane from Sea-Tac . 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. About to take off. Get the help you need from a therapist near youa FREE service from Psychology Today. Magazines, Digital We've received your submission. He flew around as an air traffic controller calmly tried to reason with him. Tilden said that air traffic control was immediately aware that Russells take off in the aircraft was an unauthorized departure.. I dont need that much help; Ive played some video games before, he told the controllers trying to help him. Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) August 11, 2018, People posted photos and videos to Twitter of a plume of smoke and possible crash site. This video is not meant to glamorize suicide. 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. The hardest part of stealing a commercial plane from an international airport was already over for Richard Russell. The Pierce County Sheriff wrote on Twitter, Stolen horizon airplane crashed into Ketron island. Russell flew the plane around Seattle for an hour while National, New Video Shows Man Stealing Horizon Air Plane In 2018 Incident, Newly-obtained surveillance video from 2018 shows how Richard Russell, then a Horizon Ground service agent with no pilot experience, successfully stole the plane before crashing to his death. Thats McChord field, the controller tells Richard Russell. Facebook Now a family is left to reckon with tragedy, while strangers find grim inspiration in his final act. [20], Russell's family released a statement on August 11, stating they were "stunned and heartbroken" and "devastated by the events". "[21] When an air traffic controller requested he land the plane after this maneuver, he said "I don't know. No one else is thought to have been injured or killed, and the fighter jets did not fire on him, authorities said. This is a Tribute Video to the late Richard Russell, better known as the Sky King. Yeah I dont know what the burnageis like on a takeoff but yeah. 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. Footage of Russell performing the barrel roll was captured on video by Facebook[2] user John Waldron. . 1,012 words / 5:32 To listen in a player, click here. Posted Sep 24, 2018. They deemed Russell the Sky King inspiring an outpouring of memes in his memorial and a possible copycat this September. Who is the aircraft on Runway 1-6 center? an air traffic controller can be heard saying. Knowing what you value will help you build the most meaningful life possible. But as the cockpit recordings and videos of Russells antics spread, and Internet users uncovered his online postings, his final act drew both admirers and detractors. [4][13] A KC-135R Stratotanker refueling tanker was also scrambled from Fairchild Air Force Base to support the F-15 flight. Beebo was loved by everyone because he was kind and gentle to each person he met. Richard Russell plane crash video was released. 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. He had planned to seek a management position at Horizon Air or become a military officer after receiving his degree. Luke Adams ? The libs are trying to solve the housing crisis in deep blue areas by having teachers live with their students. [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. After Russell performed an unauthorized takeoff, two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle . [20], On April 14, 2022, the FBI released 500 pages of previously classified documents related to the investigation. What now? Its gonna be crazy, he said at one point in air traffic control transmissions. 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. Britain is in the grip of a male suicide crisis. Russell took the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop from the northeast corner of the airport, according to the Times. In a final video that he posted to YouTube, Rich Russell showed an active life full of travel and adventure. Normal operations at Sea-Tac Airport have resumed. He claimed to have buzzed Mount Rainier. 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. My names Richard Russell, Im 27 and currently living in Sumner, WA with my incredible wife Hannah. Someone sneak on board?, A man named Tyler Lucas wrote, Sitting on the runway at SeaTac, preparing for departure. [39] He attended Wasilla High School, where he wrestled and competed in track and field. "Got a few screws loose, I guess. After five hours, he arrived in a tow vehicle near the plane. It was a strange day when Horizon Airlines Employee Richard "Beebo" Russell stole a plane in the middle of his working shift. 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.. (shown below). 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. Its not clear how he pulled off the intense maneuvers captured on video. He doesnt sound confident in his ability to land back at SeaTac. When I arrived, he was in the kitchen, in the middle of his Sunday morning ritual of cleaning his cleaning supplies. (@luketadams) August 11, 2018. There is the runway just about a mile off your right side, do you see that? The Sky King of Sea-Tac Airport. The audio between the man known as Rich and air traffic controllers further captured his demeanor. Hijacker does not know how to land the plane. At one point, he says to the utterly professional air traffic controller, Im sorry about this. This incredible true story is the inspiration for SkyKing, a video installation and project created in summer 2020. A pair of F-15C jets were scrambled in response to Russells flight before he crashed one hour and 15 minutes after takeoff. Although investigators received information regarding Russell's background, possible stressors, and personal life, no element provided a clear motivation for Russell's actions. Authorities described him as suicidal.. Sea-Tac airport confirmed the plane was down a short time later. My logo draft will be a generic suit case with minimalistic travel stickers, encircled by the text: Russell Hustle. Purportedly, when the arresting officers asked why he had risked his life with such a stunt, he said, A man cant just sit around., Later, he told the press, It was something I had to do. Holy smokes, Ive got to stop looking at the fuel because its going down quick.. 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. Published 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. I wouldnt want to do that. Im going to disappoint them to hear that I did this. At another point, he says he's going to try to "do a barrel roll." August 12, 2018 1:05 PM EDT. [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]. ", Currently we have a 29yr old who stole this plane & is threatening to crash it into something. [37], Horizon Air CEO Gary Beck stated that, as far as the company knew, Russell did not have a pilot's license. Maybe that will grease some gears a little bit with the higher-ups. The footage shows him going through security wearing a T-shirt that says "the sky's no limit." It may seem difficult for those watching at home to believe, but Beebo was a warm, compassionate man, the statement read. 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. Audio captured emotional conversations between the man, named as Rich, and air traffic controllers trying to help him land safely. They are grounding all planes and waiting. 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. SKY KING 2: RETURN OF THE SKY KING https://t.co/2Uk1sA2oXQ. 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. The plane was grounded for the night after returning from Victoria, B.C., which was its final scheduled flight of the day. 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. 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. At one point in the dramatic audio, Richard Russell told the tower he was losing an engine. 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. They opened a bakery and ran it for three years before selling it in 2015 to be closer to Hannahs family. Sadly, he did not survive much longer at all. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. "[18] Many saw Russell as a man suffering from depression and sympathized with him. The chilling footage of his final moments next shows Russell jumping onto the plane and presumably getting into the cockpit. The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long, another said. Richard Russell, 29, hijacked a 76-seater plane from Seattle-Tacoma on Friday. Confirmed info .. this is a single suicide male. 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 . 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?" Russell had no formal training as a pilot and did not have his pilots license. He tilted the wings and rumbled low over Puget Sound. 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. ATC said, "they would give you a job doing anything if you could pull this off", to which he replied, "Yeah right! Without Him we would be hopeless. What happened from then, left a. 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. Others saw his opinions on certain topics as based. 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 grins in selfies at work. 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. After performing the stunt, along with other maneuvers, the plane crashed on Ketron Island in the Puget Sound. "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. Who Is The 'Sky King' Richard Russell And How Did He Earn His Title? Lee Goldberg. [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. These statements should probably be considered the emotional projections of similarly disaffected people. [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. He appeared regretful about the pain he knew would inevitably visit his family. quote: On August 10, 2018, a Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 was stolen from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) in Seattle, Washington. [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. Many people online compared the incident to 2018's incident with Richard Russell, calling Patterson "Sky King 2.0" or "Sky King 2. "[16] When ATC suggested that the plane be landed at Joint Base LewisMcChord, the occupant refused: "Those guys will rough me up if I try and land there. You can listen to all of his SoundCloud clips here. ? wrote one woman on Twitter, echoing the comments of many people who heard the audio. Beck said the aerial maneuvers were "incredible" and that he "did not know how [Russell] achieved the experience that he did. 160. r/lostgeneration. 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. Powered by. Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose I guess. People like me dont do things like that. Goodbye" (shown below, left). It was recovered along with the cockpit voice recorder, authorities said Sunday, amid a streak of disintegrated debris. Polices ,ambulances ,& fire trucks are everywhere. [37] During his communication with air traffic control, Russell made a complaint about wages, stating: "Minimum wage, we'll chalk it up to that. The cockpit recordings are widely available online and it would be hard not to feel compassion while listening to them. 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. Memes about Sky King spread across the internet after the incident. The family thanked authorities, Alaskair, the community and Russells friends and 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. I suspect that most of the time they want to hear some kind of post-mortem diagnosis: He was a paranoid schizophrenic. Glenn Sullivan, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at the Virginia Military Institute and a clinical psychologist in private practice in Lexington, Virginia. You couldnt even tell it was a plane except for some of the bigger sections, like the wing section, western Pacific region chief Debra Eckrote said. Authorities said they did not believe he had a pilots license. [Im] just a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess. Never really knew it, until now, Richard Russell said at one point. [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". More information as we learn more, Alaska Airlines wrote on Twitter around 9:20 p.m. on the west coast. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt. In the article, Russell described himself as laid back and easy going. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt. In the article, Russell described himself as laid back and easy going. [5] It was not scheduled to fly again that day. A football teammate suggested his mental instability had been caused by undiagnosed chronic traumatic encephalopathy that may have come from repeated concussions. pic.twitter.com/Ra4LcIhwfU. 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. Normal operations at Sea-Tac Airport have resumed, the airport wrote. "Guides" His familys brief statement did not address any potential mental health issues.

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