We are working back ground on him now, the Pierce County Sheriff wrote. Reviewed by Ekua Hagan. [20], Russell's family released a statement on August 11, stating they were "stunned and heartbroken" and "devastated by the events". Mona Lazar. 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. The Pierce County Sheriff wrote on Twitter, Stolen horizon airplane crashed into Ketron island. 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. A childhood friend remarked that Beebo was loved by everyone because he was kind and gentle to each person he met. 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. SKY KING 2: RETURN OF THE SKY KING https://t.co/2Uk1sA2oXQ. Apparently someone stole a plane from SeaTac? On Facebook, he had liked the Republican Party and conservative personalities like Sean Hannity and Ben Shapiro. 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 . Defying attacks, arts return to Somalia with first TV drama in 30 years, Divorced and remarried, these Afghan women are outlaws under Taliban rule. I met my husband when a friend sent him over to my house to cure my hiccoughs. Although investigators received information regarding Russell's background, possible stressors, and personal life, no element provided a clear motivation for Russell's actions. Hannah and Beebo met at a Campus Crusade for Christ gathering at Southwestern Oregon Community College last year, the site reported. [20] They married in 2012. I wouldnt want to do that. The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. Authorities said they did not believe he had a pilots license. On his blog, Richard talks about how he and his wife once ran a bakery. SeaTac air traffic control made radio contact with Russell, the sole occupant, who described himself as a "broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess." Memes about Sky King spread across the internet after the incident. "[21] When an air traffic controller requested he land the plane after this maneuver, he said "I don't know. I dont want to hurt no one. 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. What have I done? In the audio clips, Russell calls himself "broken" and says he knows how to fly a little bit thanks to video games. I suspect that most of the time they want to hear some kind of post-mortem diagnosis: He was a paranoid schizophrenic. [7], SeattleTacoma air traffic control (ATC) maintained radio contact with the occupant. 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. Then he took an Alaska Airlines plane. You can listen to more archived aviation audio on the incident here, some of which captures the mans voice: READ NEXT: TikTok Influencers Son Murdered at Gas Station. On August 10, 2018, a Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 was stolen from SeattleTacoma International Airport (SeaTac) in Seattle, Washington. Russell said on the aviation audio, This is probably jail time for life, huh? A former coworker, Rick Christenson, told The Seattle Times: He was a quiet guy. "Nah, I'm a white guy." "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. He is not a pilot and does not know how to land the plane. Just kind of soaring around, he told air traffic control. Now video was released. 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. So I dont know how he achieved the experience that he did.. I got a lot of people that care about me. Everything is shutdown rn pic.twitter.com/AzebdIa3tP, City King (@CityKing_Gank_) September 3, 2022. Wife of Richard Russel, Hannahh Russel documented her seven-year-long marriage to the 29-year-old on Instagram ( Source : co ) "After failing to persuade Hannah of Alaska's awesomeness, we landed on Sumner due to its proximity to her family," he wrote in his blog. Florida man accused of killing daughter's dogs by locking Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, What's next for Buster Murdaugh after dad's murder conviction, life sentence, Alex Murdaugh shaves head for latest mugshot after learning his fate for killing his wife, son, Heather Dubrows youngest child comes out as transgender, Tom Sandoval drops out of interview amid backlash from Raquel Leviss scandal, Rebel Wilson says Meghan Markle isnt as naturally warm as Prince Harry, March 4, 1984: Martina Navratilova defeats Chris Evert at MSG, Tom Sizemore And The Dangerous Burden of Desperation, Tom Sandoval breaks silence on Ariana Madix split amid cheating claims. 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. 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. Others saw his opinions on certain topics as based. [37] During his communication with air traffic control, Russell made a complaint about wages, stating: "Minimum wage, we'll chalk it up to that. Its gonna be crazy, he said at one point in air traffic control transmissions. August 10, 2021 by Kirk Forlatt. 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. [39] He attended Wasilla High School, where he wrestled and competed in track and field. Pilot said it was most bizarre thing hed heard in his career. [4][13] A KC-135R Stratotanker refueling tanker was also scrambled from Fairchild Air Force Base to support the F-15 flight. What happened from then, left a. Or that he appeared to be a happy, regular guy. After performing the stunt, along with other maneuvers, the plane crashed on Ketron Island in the Puget Sound. I'm listening through the archive of the radio chatter on the #seatac hijacking. He had psychotic depression. His familys brief statement did not address any potential mental health issues. 2007-2023 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. Buy "Richard "SkyKing" Russell" by BogTron as a Sticker. 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. Normal operations at Sea-Tac Airport have resumed, the airport wrote. Although he didnt have a pilots license, Russell knew how to work the plane from his experience as an airport employee, the FBI previously said. So many bags, he said. Hannah and Beebo met at a Campus Crusade for Christ gathering at Southwestern Oregon Community College last year, the site reported. After listening many times to the recordings, I found his voice - alternately warm, scared, and funny - to . Airport (@flySEA) August 11, 2018. sky king, sky king memes, richard russell, 4chan, sky king 2, based. At another point, he says he's going to try to "do a barrel roll." quote: On August 10, 2018, a Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 was stolen from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) in Seattle, Washington. Even the small sections, most of it doesnt resemble a plane.. You went out the way most of us dream, one user wrote. ", "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. I hope this prompts a nationwide discussion about mental healthcare overall. 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). Updated Nov 30, 2022 at 4:37pm. 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. Meanwhile, various tributes to Russell were uploaded to YouTube (shown below). The fighter jets were scrambled from Portland. I would hope it is for a guy like me. People on Twitter who were following the aviation audio reported that the man attempted a barrel roll with the plane at one point. In this season of life we enjoy exploring as much as possible, whether its a day (or so) trip to one of Alaska Airlines destinations, or visiting a new area of Washington, Russell wrote about himself and his wife online. KINGs Madison Wade reports. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt. In the article, Russell described himself as laid back and easy going. Hours prior, he posted a message on Facebook that seemed to imply he was going to commit suicide, writing, "Sorry everyone. Magazines, stole a plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Or create a free account to access more articles, 'Beebo Was Loved By Everyone.' I hope they can make it through this. He said that airline employees go through background checks. Ive got a lot of people that care about me. In July 2022, video was released that showed Russells last moments going through security, taking off in the plane, and communicating with air traffic control. This is a complete shock to us. He flew around as an air traffic controller calmly tried to reason with him. We know who he is. In the coming days, articles about the incident were published in The New York Times,[4] CBS News[6] and The Washington Post. Literally Media Ltd. The media also started sharing audio clips of ongoing conversations between Russell and an air traffic controller. 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 . The audio between the man known as Rich and air traffic controllers further captured his demeanor. These statements should probably be considered the emotional projections of similarly disaffected people. 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. On October 6, 1993, now aged 44, he hiked into the Angeles National Forest and died by self-inflicted gunshot. A former coworker, Rick Christenson, told The Seattle Times: He was a quiet guy. 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! They may not admit for a few days. "What can you expect," some said, "when you take people whose great-great-grandparents were pioneers, grizzly bear hunters, and city-builders and make them baggage handlers, call center operators, and sales clerks?" He claimed to have buzzed Mount Rainier. Who's Afraid of the Rorschach Inkblot Test? In 1993, Lawnchair Larry Walters was named an At-Risk Survivor in the annual Darwin Awards. The flight data recorder may show how well Russell managed the aircrafts myriad functions. The hardest part of stealing a commercial plane from an international airport was already over for Richard Russell. USA TODAY. Can Humans Detect Text by AI Chatbot GPT? We are aware of an incident involving an unauthorized take-off of a Horizon Air Q400. Someone sneak on board?, A man named Tyler Lucas wrote, Sitting on the runway at SeaTac, preparing for departure. 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. He had planned to seek a management position at Horizon Air or become a military officer after receiving his degree. He did a barrel roll in a stolen plane and went out in a blaze of glory. 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