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As the FBI investigation wrapped up earlier this week, West Pierce Fire and Rescue released some of the first footage from the scene through public disclosure. The FBI has recovered the flight data recorder and components of the cockpit voice recorder from the Horizon aircraft that crashed onto Ketron Island Friday night. Authorities said he used a tractor to rotate the plane 180 degrees, positioning it so that he could taxi toward a runway. 2. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, On the day of his tragic flight, Mr Russell wore a shirt that said The Sky is No Limit, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile, Air Traffic Control audio reveals conversation with man who stole Alaska Airlines plane. Russell, a Horizon Air ground service agent for three and a half years, was the only person aboard the plane, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department said. How was a man able to steal and pilot a plane? "I think I'm going to try to do a barrel roll, and if that goes good I'll go nose down and call it a night," Richard Russell said from the cockpit, according to a recording of his conversation with the controller. Please dont hesitate to utilize this resource. We deliver the best in breaking news, live video coverage, original journalism and segments from your favorite NBC News Shows.Connect with NBC News Online!NBC News App: https://smart.link/5d0cd9df61b80Breaking News Alerts: https://link.nbcnews.com/join/5cj/breaking-news-signup?cid=sm_npd_nn_yt_bn-clip_190621Visit NBCNews.Com: http://nbcnews.to/ReadNBCFind NBC News on Facebook: http://nbcnews.to/LikeNBCFollow NBC News on Twitter: http://nbcnews.to/FollowNBC#Surveillance #Horizonair #hijacking "There is a runway just off to your right side in about a mile," the controller says, reffering to an airfield at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. In fact, there have been a number of occurrences in recent decades in which ground personnel made off with aircraft. Investigators on Saturday were trying to retrieve the plane's flight data recorder and its cockpit voice recorder. Video from Friday showed the Horizon Air Q400 doing large loops and other dangerous maneuvers as the sun set on the Puget Sound. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Airports nationwide will now look at whether their security procedures need to change, CNN safety analyst David Soucie said. He later stole the plane and eventually crashed it into an island in Puget Sound. Minimum wage, we'll chalk it up to that. Could 3 Particles on a Tie Lead Us to D.B. In a final video project set to cheery music, Russell included selfies from airport . By Louis Lucero II and Melissa Gomez. The footage shows him going through security wearing a T-shirt. The rest of Mr Russell's time in the air was well documented, thanks to his regular contact with SeaTac's tower. He managed to proceed with his plan unmolested largely because no one thought twice about the baggage handler working in the airport's restricted spaces. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. But the friendly tone of a 29-year-old airport worker who stole a commercial plane Friday night, performing acrobatic stunts before a fatal plunge into a thick island forest, belied his desperate actions. So many bags," he said. July 4, 1986. New surveillance. Investigators headed Saturday to the crash site to recover the plane's data recorders and Russell's remains as part of a criminal probe, authorities said. Within minutes of the plane's takeoff, the military scrambled two armed F-15 jets from Oregon to follow it, according to local and airline authorities and two sources with knowledge of the situation. May 23, 1969. SEATTLE -- He cracked jokes, complimented the professional demeanor of an air traffic controller and apologized for making a fuss. Newly released CCTV footage shows airport employee Richard Russell stealing an Alaska Airlines plane before fatally crashing it into a Washington island, the New York Post reports . The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office has confirmed the remains belong to Richard Russell, who took the empty Horizon Air turboprop plane from Sea-Tac Airport. While searching the crash site, investigators also located human remains among the aircraft materials. Video from a witness on the ground shows the plane at one point pulling up for a loop, putting the aircraft upside-down and then pulling back up just feet above a body of water. New video released Wednesday shows what first responders found after a plane stolen from Sea-Tac Airport crashed on a south Puget Sound island last August. In a humorous YouTube video he posted last year, he talked about his job and included videos and photos of his various travels. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The NTSB is now processing the equipment. Having to rely on the ferry system for transport, the first 40 responding firefighters stayed at the scene throughout the night. Not long before the crash, a pilot who'd been helping controllers advise Russell appears to mention the maneuver. The 76-seat Horizon Air turboprop plane took off without authorization at 7:32 p.m. local time Friday, with Russell, who was not a pilot, at the controls, officials said. He first can be seen wandering through security, and is spotted again later on the tarmac. There were no passengers aboard. Russell went by "Beebo" on social media. Despite the timing of the crash during prime fire season, the fires in the video seemed to be small and scattered. "He might have been talking to himself in the cockpit," so the voice recorder may provide additional information that wasn't recorded in radio traffic, she said. "The greatest threat we have to aviation is the insider threat," said Erroll Southers, a former FBI agent and transportation security expert. F-15 fighter jets scrambled to intercept the Q400, which ultimately crashed into Ketron Island, about 30 miles from the airport. 2023 Cable News Network. Photos show first responders that night sleeping outside on the ground. "Nah, I mean, I don't need that much help. Meyer had recently been passed over for promotion and had been arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct. On Friday, Horizon Air ground service agent .css-3wjtm9{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.125rem;text-decoration-color:#1c6a65;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-3wjtm9:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Richard B. Russell got in one of the airlines Bombardier Q400 aircraft and took off from Seattles SeaTac Airport. I don't know, man! Win Your Trip to Our 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards! He said he wanted to create projects showing the contrast between his hard work on the ground and his high-flying free time traveling the globe. The Surveillance footage obtained by KOMO shows 28-year-old Richard Russell using a tow vehicle to pull a Horizon Air Q400 aircraft onto the tarmac before climbing into the . The cause of the crash wasn't immediately known, but the F-15s did not bring the plane down, Eckrote said. "It's going to disappoint them to hear that I did thisJust a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess.". Investigators said Richard Russell worked alone when he was working as a ground service agent for the airline, and that he towed the turboprop out a hanger, climbed into the cockpit, and took off. No one noticed the plane had disappeared until Mr Russell was in the air. Russell took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at 7.32pm on Friday and flew, tailed by F-15 Eagle jets, until the plane crashed at 8.47pm into Ketron Island, located 25 miles. Aug. 12, 2018. Scroll down to continue . The newly published video, coupled with Rolling Stones detailed reconstruction of the events of August 10, 2018, paint the picture of a cheerful, gregarious fellow. When Rolling Stone published its article last year, no major regulatory or security changes had been implemented in response to Russells deadly flight. The black boxes will hopefully give investigators more clues as they try to figure out why Russell flew the plane into the ground. His responsibilities included towing and pushing aircraft for takeoff and gate approach, de-icing them, and handling baggage. and last updated 2018-08-12 08:56:01-04. Authorities said Russell did not have a pilot's license. 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. He was immediately killed. The King County medical examiner ruled his death a suicide. Plus we let you know whats going on locally with Lee Callahans Jacktivities! KIRO 7 News Seattle facebook feed(Opens a new window), KIRO 7 News Seattle twitter feed(Opens a new window), KIRO 7 News Seattle youtube feed(Opens a new window), Who was Richard Russell? "This is a complete shock to us," the family said in a statement Saturday night. "Here we have an employee who was vetted to the level to have access to the aircraft and had a skill set proficient enough to take off with that plane.". This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. At least 12 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Trump speaks at CPAC after winning straw poll, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. 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Because there were no passengers or crew aboard the plane, it wasnt considered a hijacking, and authorities response to the event seems to indicate that nobody ever expected an airport employee to hop in a plane and go for a ride with no apparent intent to terrorize, kill, or even make a greater statement. The plane eventually crashed on sparsely populated Ketron Island, starting a fire in the woods but injuring no one outside the plane. strangest, scariest, most bizarre events of 2018. They said it's clear Russell didn't intend to harm anyone, and "he was right in saying that there are so many people who loved him.
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