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 . (If you need help, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.). Normal operations at Sea-Tac Airport have resumed. What happened to Richard 'Beebo' Russell between Alaska and Washington I dont want to hurt no one. After attempting the aircraft took off, two F-15 fighter jets were deployed. The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long, another said. In one blog, he describedaspirations to land a management job or join the military. Richard Russell: Details emerge of a compassionate man after Seattle plane heist and fiery crash. These statements should probably be considered the emotional projections of similarly disaffected people. ", Currently we have a 29yr old who stole this plane & is threatening to crash it into something. Excerpts taken from Mr. Ballen 's video on the Sky king.Top 3 stories that sound fake but are 100% real | Part 5:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zaa53S-8lDMMr.Ballen's Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtPrkXdtCM5DACLufB9jbsAHIJACKED SEATTLE PLANE INSANE FOOTAGE, TRAFFIC CONTROL AUDIO, CRASH DAMAGE:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeYVtVg6aGs Raw: Family Press Conference For Suicidal Mechanic Who Stole Plane In Seattle:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5fFJgdhBm4Stepbrother of Richard \"Beebo\" Russell talks about stolen plane incident:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FvRMhQ44kYMusicFrom Internet Archive, Public Domain MusicThe Pachelbel Canon: by Orchestre De Chambre Jean-Franois Paillardhttps://archive.org/details/lp_the-pachelbel-canon-and-other-baroque-favo_orchestre-de-chambre-jean-franois-paillard/disc1/01.02.+Canon+In+D+For+Strings+And+Continuo.mp3Pachelbel's Canon in D:https://archive.org/details/PachelbelsCanoninD TikTok Influencers Son Murdered at Gas Station. And in recordings of conversations with air traffic controllers, Russell joked and laughed, though he was at times contemplative and raw. 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. It may seem difficult for those watching at home to believe, but Beebo was a warm, compassionate man. Why did I do it? In the coming days, articles about the incident were published in The New York Times,[4] CBS News[6] and The Washington Post. 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. (@luketadams) August 11, 2018. We consider ourselves bakery connoisseurs and have to try a new one every place we go. His website is filled with photos and videos of his travels and was previously linked to his Instagram account. bit.ly/subAIRBOYD Various scanner recordings from liveatc.net and broadcastify.com SEA Ground, Tower, Departure/Approach. My logo draft will be a generic suit case with minimalistic travel stickers, encircled by the text: Russell Hustle. Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose I guess. 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. This dives into the psychology and reason of why he Hi-jacked a plane and then crashed into his death. I met Hannah in Coos Bay, Oregon in 2010 while we were both going to school, the about me section says. 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.. The video starts with images of what its like to work as a baggage handler for an airline, sometimes in the rainy weather. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. I hope they can make it through this. He said that airline employees go through background checks. [46][47], N449QX, the aircraft involved in the incident, pictured 2 months before the crash. Although investigators received information regarding Russell's background, possible stressors, and personal life, no element provided a clear motivation for Russell's actions. [31][32] On August 12, the FBI said that it had recovered the flight data recorder along with components of the cockpit voice recorder. 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 10, 2018, a Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 was stolen from SeattleTacoma International Airport (SeaTac) in Seattle, Washington. I wouldnt want to do that. About to take off. The audio between the man known as Rich and air traffic controllers further captured his demeanor. In 2018, a Horizon Air employee, Richard Russell, stole a plane with no prior flying experience, making international headlines. About to take off. All further inquiries should be directed to the Seattle FBI office", "Alaska Airlines: Everything We Know About the Suicidal Hijacker", "Airplane taken from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has crashed", "Authorities probe how 'suicidal' employee could steal plane from Seattle airport", "Man who sought 'serenity' before crashing stolen plane near Seattle is identified", "Human remains, black box found from plane stolen by Seattle airport employee", "FBI Completes Investigation into August 2018 Unauthorized Flight from Seattle-Tacoma Airport", "Horizon Air Worker Who Crashed Plane Bent on Suicide, Not Terror", "Seattle: stolen plane crashes after rogue take-off from Sea-Tac airport", "Man who took Horizon Air plane from Sea-Tac Airport was quiet, well liked, says former co-worker", "Richard Russell was a jokester who complained about work, but Sea-Tac plane heist still baffles friends", "Family of man who stole plane at Sea-Tac express 'shock,' others say 'Beebo' was friendly guy", "Authorities don't believe man who stole plane had a pilot's license", "Who was Richard Russell? Memes about Sky King spread across the internet after the incident. He has buzzed Mt Rainer and the Seattle area. by In the audio clips, Russell calls himself "broken" and says he knows how to fly a little bit thanks to video games. Or he could have had grim plans to take his own life. This story has been shared 176,044 times. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. 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. 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. 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. Its burned quite a bit faster than I expected., He also said, Im gonna land it, in a safe kind of manner. Pilots kept plane out of harms way and people on ground safe. The Sky King Richard Russell: Understanding Why He Died [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 pic.twitter.com/OVtJqphgqo. 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. Legal Information: Know Your Meme is a trademark of Literally Media Ltd. By using this site, you are agreeing by the site's terms of use and privacy policy and DMCA policy. [5] It was not scheduled to fly again that day. 160. r/lostgeneration. We love you bud. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. in correct chronological orderthis took pIace over about 75 minutes. Human remains were recovered from the site, the FBI said Sunday, and Russell is presumed dead in the crash. 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 played athletics in high school in Wasilla, Alaska. Patterson did not end up flying the plane into Walmart, instead landing in a field where he was arrested. I was born in Key West, Florida, and moved to Wasilla, Alaska when I was 7. About 1 hour and 15 minutes after takeoff, Russell died by intentionally crashing the aircraft on lightly populated Ketron Island in Puget Sound. It was a lie. After he landed, Mr. Walters was arrested and charged with unlawful operation of an aircraft within a controlled air traffic area. At another point, he says he's going to try to "do a barrel roll." "[43] Some co-workers said that Russell had probably trained himself to fly using amateur flight simulation software. (Video: Elyse Samuels/The Washington Post). Audio released of Russells conversation with an air traffic controller suggests that he was struggling with mental health issues, but his motive for stealing the plane remains unclear. Russell said to dispatchers, You think if I can land this successfully, Alaska will give me a job as a pilot? and the Air Traffic Control tower said, I think they will give you a job doing anything if you pull this off. He replied, according to some sites, Yeah right! [45] The aircraft was worth $30million, all of which was paid under the company's insurance policy "with no deductibles. 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. Richard "Beebo" Russell: Sky King (throwback stolen - TigerDroppings Keep the aircraft nice and low, the tower responded to the man at one point, advising him to keep it over the water. On YouTube, he also went by the name Beebo Russell. ATC said, "they would give you a job doing anything if you could pull this off", to which he replied, "Yeah right! 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. 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.. Richard Russell, a ground control agent, died after he stole the plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airportin August 2018 and drove it into the ground of a remote island in the Puget Sound, authorities said at the time. ", "Plane Thief Said He Trained on Games, Didn't Plan to Land", "NORAD: Fighter jets were trying to direct stolen plane over Pacific Ocean when it crashed", "Towboat crew dropped everything to respond to Ketron Island crash", "Firefighters battle more than flames after Ketron Island plane crash", "Seattle plane crash: 'heartbroken' family remember gentle man who meant no harm", "Ketron Island residents grateful Horizon Air plane didn't crash into homes", "Thanks to everyone for sharing accurate information, insuring the public's safety. He did a barrel roll in a stolen plane and went out in a blaze of glory. [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, Authorities said Russell was suicidal. The statement, he added, was the only one that will be released. 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. Richard "SkyKing" Russell Sticker by BogTron - Redbubble Richard Russell, AKA Rich or Beebo Russell, was named as the airport mechanic who stole a Horizon plane at Sea-Tac and crashed it. He was 29 years old and a member of the ground crew at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport, earning minimum wage. 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. Plane is a Q4. I'm listening through the archive of the radio chatter on the #seatac hijacking. Rainier. They were born, they laughed, they struggled, they loved, and they died. 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. It was worth it, he said, to conveniently travel to Alaska, where he grew up, to visit family. [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. 2007-2023 Audio starts with another aircraft reporting the Q400 exiting the maintenance/cargo area and taking off without clearance. Just kind of soaring around, he told air traffic control. 7 Ticking Time Bombs That Destroy Loving Relationships, The Single Best (and Hardest) Thing to Give Up, 3 Ways to Reclaim Your Hope and Happiness. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Nah, Im a white guy. That last line has caused some controversy online. A former coworker, Rick Christenson, told The Seattle Times: He was a quiet guy. 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. After 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 Sound, questions remain about why and how he undertook the ultimately fatal flight. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC, Psychology and the Mystery of the "Poisoned" Schoolgirls. On behalf of the family, we are stunned and heartbroken. He also had a pellet gun, with which he eventually shot several of the balloons, beginning his slow descent. [25][26] No injuries were reported to residents of the sparsely populated island despite the crash site being in close proximity to at least one cabin, which was occupied at the time of the incident. After five hours, he arrived in a tow vehicle near the plane. What have I done? Ive got a lot of people that care about me. Quite a scary experience. 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 . This article was published more than4 years ago. Oh- theyve probably got anti-aircraftnot quite ready to bring it down just yet. Sadly, he did not survive much longer at all. [4][13] A KC-135R Stratotanker refueling tanker was also scrambled from Fairchild Air Force Base to support the F-15 flight. His conversation with controllers revealed limited experience. Cast Your Vote To Select The Meme Of The Month! Sky King / Richard Russell | Know Your Meme You went out the way most of us dream, one user wrote. How I've Made $280k Selling Spreadsheets on Etsy. How was he able to take off without being stopped? 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. Normal operations at Sea-Tac Airport have resumed, the airport wrote. Everything is shutdown rn pic.twitter.com/AzebdIa3tP, City King (@CityKing_Gank_) September 3, 2022. 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?" I have flown from Sea-Tac many times, and know the landmarks Russell mentions well (Mt. For Richard Russell. Goodbye" (shown below, left). I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt. In the article, Russell described himself as laid back and easy going. We've received your submission. 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. His familys brief statement did not address any potential mental health issues. "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. 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. After Russell performed an unauthorized takeoff, two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighters were scrambled to intercept the aircraft. I was born in Key West, Florida, and moved to Wasilla, Alaska when I was 7. [37] During his communication with air traffic control, Russell made a complaint about wages, stating: "Minimum wage, we'll chalk it up to that. "Got a few screws loose, I guess. [36] He had been part of a tow team, which repositions aircraft on the airport apron, for about four years. Listening to the audio recordings, I feel nothing but sadness for Rich, for the man who stole that plane at #SeaTac and committed suicide. #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. Updated Nov 30, 2022 at 4:37pm. Powered by. Teachers are quitting and they will have no one to run their schools, but they still won't give in and support solutions that would hurt property values. At another point, Richard Russell said, Im down to 2100; I started at like 30-something.. They turned him into a hero with the name, and with it came a lot of memes. 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. After listening many times to the recordings, I found his voice - alternately warm, scared, and funny - to .