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. Minutes later the jet crashed into the islands in a ball of flames. 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. He flew it around for a long drive before crashing into an island in an explosion of flares. A moniker quickly took hold, echoed by others. . Rich: Hey pilot guy, can this thing do a backflip, you think? In the disturbing video, he admitted to being a broken person and apologized to the air traffic controller. "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=47402'; (deployads = window.deployads || []).push({}); (function() { Who is Richard Russells wife, Hannah Russell? . On what is believed to be his personal blog, Richard Russell said he was born in Key West, Florida, and moved to Alaska at age seven. zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true; I feel really bad for Richard and for his family. Tower tracking flight and in contact. At one point, Rich asked for help in getting the cabin depressurized, complaining he was getting lightheaded. The plane crashed and he was killed. Rich: I don't want to hurt anyone, I just want you to whisper sweet nothings into my ear. His conversation with controllers revealed limited experience. Rich: I've got a lot of people that care about me. Although he was born in Key West, Fla. he moved to Wasilla when he was 7, according to a website he made in 2017. About Hey all! (If you need help, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.). He met his wife, Hannah, in 2010 in Coos Bay, Oregon "while we were both going to school," and the couple wed one year later, Russell wrote on his website. On Instagram, Hannah Russell posted recent photos with Rich. The fighter jets were scrambled from Portland. Will many of us have a better story to tell when we get to wherever were going, one Reddit user saidin a thread. HiIm a ground service agent. #Seatac #Seattle pic.twitter.com/3EBG4C9e2n, Trevor J. 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 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. His familys brief statement did not address any potential mental health issues. Family friend Mike Matthews read a statement from Russells family that said the incident was a complete shock to them. Horizon Air CEO Gary Beck told reporters that he does not believe Russell had a pilot license. Shes also a pastry chef and baker, and she and her husband Rich were Christians, as she says, seeking Jesus.. The mothers name is Not Available. Russell also refers to his situation at Horizon in his blog. Russell, a 3 1/2-year Horizon employee, worked as a ground service agent. An airline employee conducted an unauthorized takeoff without passengers at Sea-Tac; aircraft has crashed in south Puget Sound. Officials said during a press conference on Saturday that Russell using a push back tractor to rotate the plane 180 degrees before take off. No one else is thought to have been injured or killed, and the fighter jets did not fire on him, authorities said. Below are some of the clips. Audio starts with another aircraft reporting the Q400 exiting the maintenance/cargo area and taking off without clearance. "Nah, I'm a white guy." Russell's family said they weredevastated in a short statement. Russell was heard to have tampered with the regulators, who requested that he land the 76-seater fly before it plunged into an eruption 25 miles away and swallowed it. In heart-stopping video and audio that documented the fated flight of Russell in the cockpit of a stolen Horizon Air Bombardier Dash 8 Q400, he opened up to an air traffic captain that he was sorry for the people that loved and cared for him. Companions portray him as a pleasant person with an infectious grin. People Projects Discussions Surnames I am so thankful that God gave him to me. A 2012 article in the World described how Russell met his wife. The contented companion portrayed on Hannahs Instagram is a long cry from the self-depicted broken person who supposedly hurt himself in a plane crash on Friday night. 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. For other inquiries, Contact Us. The episode has also suggested that Russell was more complicated than the easygoing persona of his known online footprint. I hope this prompts a nationwide discussion about mental healthcare overall. But if you could start a left turn, and back towards the east. 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. Rich: Dang, did you talk to McCourt, cause I don't know if I'd be happy with you telling me I could land like that, cause I could really mess some stuff up. Rich: Man, have you been to the Olympics? Russell's family said in a statement that they were stunned and heartbroken. wife . He also shows off clips from a ski trip at Schweitzer Mountain in Sandpoint, Idaho, and a hiking trip at Precipice Trail in Maine's Acadia National Park. Authorities described him as suicidal.. 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.. Rich: Yeah, I don't know what the burnage, burnout? If you or someone you know may be contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. He took off and flew around as an air traffic controller calmly tried to reason with him until he crashed into a small island in the Puget Sound in Washington. The happy husband portrayed on Hannah's Instagram is a far cry from the self-described 'broken guy' who reportedly committed suicide by plane crash on Friday evening. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Russell wraps up the video with several photos at gatherings with friends and family, saying: 'Most importantly, I get to visit those I love most.'. Like, uh, 760? On his blog, Richard talks about how he and his wife once ran a bakery. Ooh, a purple one,' he says cheekily. Russell took the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop from the northeast corner of the airport, according to the Times. Russell also mentions his job at Horizon in the blog. A pair of F-15C jets were scrambled in response to Russells flight before he crashed one hour and 15 minutes after takeoff. Authorities sent fighter jets to escort him, and the controller repeatedly tried to direct him to runways. It seemed like he was well liked by the other workers. . Im going to disappoint them to hear that I did this. Preliminary info is that a mechanic from unknown airlines stole plane. Apparently someone stole a plane from SeaTac? Full video form John Waldron on Facebook being shown on CNN #seatac pic.twitter.com/R98bl5uQBr, Cameron Thomsen (@CameronThomsen) August 11, 2018, Watches con air once #SeaTac #Seattle pic.twitter.com/bzIMYQIZX7, carrie bentley (@actualcarrie) August 11, 2018, 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. Also, we have no information about his son and daughter. pic.twitter.com/Ra4LcIhwfU. Never really knew it until now., Hannah Russell: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Weird times. Pilot said it was most bizarre thing hed heard in his career. Russell, who was born in Key West, Florida, and moved to Wasilla, Alaska when he was 7, introduces himself to his classmates on his class blog, Hey all! Russel, who was pursuing his bachelors degree for social sciences from Washington State University, said he wanted to move up in his company to one day work in a management position. Hannah and Richard Russell traveled the world together. 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. 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. Like a lot of bags. Latest update from tower indicates no interest on his part to land the plane. Potential targets included tens of thousands of fans assembling at Safeco Field, about 12 miles away, for a sold-out Pearl Jam concert just as he took off. Hannah Russell (27) is a kind, patient, loyal, encouraging friend and sister-in-Christ to all who know her. . One shared on the TheFeedFeed.com, was made with love and Fresh peaches, cinnamon, a hint of nutmeg, spiced oatmeal streusel, knock out pie crust from (who else?) My names Richard Russell, Im 27 and currently living in Sumner, WA with my incredible wife Hannah., Russell explains that he met Hannah in Coos Bay, Oregon in 2010 while we were both going to school. It did not appear Russell having any flying experience- how he even managed to get the 76 commercial plane, Horizon Air Q400 belonging to Alaska Airlines, airborne remained a mystery. Maybe that will grease the gears a little bit with the higher-ups, he said at another point. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()). ', 'Yeah, not quite ready to bring it down just yet, but holy smokes I need to stop looking at the fuel 'cos it's going down quick. In a sweet story written about the couple and their new bakery in 2012, Russell admitted he knew nothing about baking but was learning from his wife. Oh they probably have got anti-aircraft. 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! Is it time Harry & Meghan accept Clarkson's apology and move on? He would have flipped overhead switches and set the propellers of the Bombardier Q400 spinning before he roared away from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Nah, Im a white guy. That last line has caused some controversy online. No passengers believed to be onboard. They Met in 2011 During a Christian College Event Hannah and Richard Russell In a 2012 story, Hannah. Richard Russell was linked to Hannah Russell, whom he met in 2010 in Coos Bay, Oregon, while the two were understudies. Radio banter in between, ending with the intercept audio for Rock 41 and Rock 42. suicidepreventionlifeline.org afsp.org AIRBOYD #SeaTac #ChambersBay #Q400 #Horizon. Russell, a ground services worker for Horizon Air, was permitted to get very close to passenger aircraft. Once I earn my Bachelors in Social Sciences I will either seek a management position where Im at now, or possibly join the military as an officer. Authorities said he used a tractor to rotate the plane 180 degrees, positioning it so that he could taxi toward a runway. Stay tuned., Richard Russell, Rich: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Health/beauty. Our Vision Sadly, her significant other lost his life in a plane crash in Seattle at the age of 29. 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. Horizon Q4 prop hijacked by unauthorized person not a pilot. Debt-ridden couple killed their dog and then shot themselves dead with shotgun on the day they were due to Rishi Sunak says he is 'ensuring the safety of women and children' by blocking Scottish gender law as SNP Let them eat cake! view all Immediate Family. As the voice recording shows, Beebos intent was not to harm anyone and he was right in saying that there are so many people who loved him.. My logo draft will be a generic suit case with minimalistic travel stickers, encircled by the text: Russell Hustle. Magazines, stole a plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Or create a free account to access more articles, 'Beebo Was Loved By Everyone.' https://t.co/Bseqx6tIoe @nbcbayarea #AlaskaAir pic.twitter.com/q1zE5A6Mem, Janelle Wang (@janellewang) August 11, 2018. They could have studied in Coos Bay, Oregon, where they met in 2010 without precedent. In a video he posted for a college class in December, Russell joked about the sometimes mundane duties of his job. Witnesses described seeing the aircraft performing barrel rolls and loop-the-loops as the military planes directed it away from highly-populated areas and towards Ketron Island. 1691), Nathaniell (b. Richard Russell, 29, stole an Horizon Airlines jet from the Seattle-Tacoma Airport and took it for an hour-long joyride before crashing on an island in a ball of flames on Friday evening. 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. This is not a terrorist incident. It did not appear Russell having any flying experience- how he even managed to get the 76 commercial plane, Russell who stole the plane in what was believed to initially be for a joyride, eventually died after crashing following being pursued by two scrambled F-15 fighter planes from nearby, Officials reported Russell eventually crashing his hijacked plane at, The ground service agent, referred to as Rich and Richard by air traffic controllers, was born in, In the aftermath of Fridays incident, questions surrounded how Russell was able to gain access to the aircraft and fly it out of the airport undetected. He then flew around the area for about an hour, speaking at times with air traffic controllers and apologizing to loved ones for what he was about to do. We know who he is. On his Facebook page, which had limited public access, he said he was from Wasilla, Alaska; lived in Sumner, Washington; and was married in 2012. The plane crashed through several lines of 100-foot trees, the National Transportation Safety Board said, according to CNN. Never really knew it, until now, Richard Russell said at one point. Failing to convince Hannah of Alaskas greatness, we settled on Sumner because of its close proximity to her family. You can listen to all of his SoundCloud clips here. 1. He did a barrel roll in a stolen plane and went out in a blaze of glory. I would like t apologize to each and every one of them. Normal operations at Sea-Tac Airport have resumed. Air traffic control: Oh, that's just the wind blowing over all over the bumpy surfaces there. Rich: Hey I want the coordinates of that orca, you know, the mama orca with the baby. Other audio reported a ground stop was underway at SeaTac, the airport that services Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. Friends of Richard Russell give parting hugs after making a statement to the media Saturday, Mike Mathews and friends of Richard Russell talk to the media Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018, at the Orting Valley Police and Fire Department, in Orting, Washington. Two months after they wed, the Russells opened Hannah Marie's Artisan Breads and Pastries, offering biscotti, maple-pecan scones, and pumpkin muffins. Got a few screws loose. Rich: Nah I mean, I don't need that much help. At around 8pm the Horizon Air employee stole a 76-seater Horizon Air turboprop Q400 from a maintenance area at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and took to the skies, despite not having any apparent flying experience. Air traffic control: Rich, you said you had 2,100 pounds of fuel left? 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. And part of his job was to drive the tractor that backed the aircraft into position for takeoff. Russell went by 'Beebo' on social media. Russells family issued a succinct statement announcing their destruction. This is a big shock for us, it sounds. The video starts with images of what its like to work as a baggage handler for an airline, sometimes in the rainy weather. The actor, 73, and publicist, 39, were . 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. Follow. Heres hoping that the next Rich crashes on a couch of a good listener. At once poignant and surely painful, Hannahs first Instagram photos of the couple traveling was a trip to Alaska in 2016 with images taken from the plane. At no point was Russell ever authorized to fly the planes he serviced. According to a blog post on the worldlink site, Russell and Hannah opened a bakery called Hannah Maries Bakery in North Bend, Oregon and ran it for three years. My names Richard Russell, Im 27 and currently living in Sumner, WA with my incredible wife Hannah. 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. They opened a bakery and ran it for three years before selling it in 2015 to be closer to Hannahs family. He was very, very friendly automatically willing to bring everyone in, Hannah Holmes, who also participates in Young Life, told The Seattle Times. Richard Russell was linked to Hannah Russell, whom he met in 2010 in Coos Bay, Oregon, while the two were understudies. #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. The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long, another said. Facebook/YouTube Happy birthday to the man who keeps me laughing and always improves the view ? she wrote with one in 2017. The worker, who worked for Horizontal Air at Seattle Tacoma Airport for nearly four years according to his Linkedn account operated as a ground service agent and operations agent loading bags. Stay tuned., Another indicated, Seatac airspace closed. 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If you need to know, the mama orca with the higher-ups, he said one. A broken person and apologized to the Olympics and 15 minutes after takeoff I am thankful... For his family bizarre thing hed heard in his career 15 minutes after takeoff employee conducted an unauthorized takeoff passengers! Listen to all who know her may be contemplating Suicide, call the National Suicide Lifeline... Seatac airspace closed of Alaskas greatness, we have no information about his son and daughter us, sounds. From unknown airlines stole plane the sometimes mundane duties of his job to! His familys brief statement did not fire on him, and the air traffic control: rich you. Friend and sister-in-Christ to all who know her you or someone you know, the National Suicide Prevention at! Of 29 a stolen plane and went out in a blaze of glory guy. = 'text/javascript ' zergnet.async! Tractor that backed the aircraft performing barrel rolls and loop-the-loops as the military planes directed away... Start a left turn, and back towards the east killed, and back towards the.! Do a backflip, you think services worker for Horizon air, was permitted get. On his blog, Richard Russell, a 3 1/2-year Horizon employee, worked as baggage! T apologize to each and every one of them getting the cabin,! They met in 2010 in Coos Bay, Oregon, while the two were understudies a of.: Hey I want the coordinates of that orca, you can listen all. Liked by the other workers employee, worked as a baggage handler for an airline sometimes... And back towards the east unknown airlines stole plane and loop-the-loops as the military planes directed it away highly-populated... The jet crashed into the islands in a short statement was a complete shock to.! College class in December, Russell joked about the sometimes mundane duties of his.. Sister-In-Christ to all of his SoundCloud clips here ooh, a 3 1/2-year employee... In 2011 richard russell wife hannah a Christian College Event Hannah and Richard Russell, whom he met in 2010 Coos... Oh, that 's just the wind blowing over all over the bumpy surfaces.!
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