HiIm a ground service agent. 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). They turned him into a hero with the name, and with it came a lot of memes. Now a family is left to reckon with tragedy, while strangers find grim inspiration in his final act. Audio from the SeaTac tower reported that aircraft were lined up on the tarmac at one point. [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. Richard Russell had a website that appeared to have been for a college communications class.
Sky King ~ Richard Russell on Vimeo I would like to apologize to each and every one of them. Never really knew it, until now., While Lawnchair Larry was mostly a figure of fun in our popular culture, many people responded to Rich Russells flight with a level of compassion unfamiliar in our social media age. Its gonna be crazy, he said at one point in air traffic control transmissions. "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 was a quiet and well-liked young man who was active in his church. Human remains were recovered from the site, the FBI said Sunday, and Russell is presumed dead in the crash. Richard Russell, 29, hijacked a 76-seater plane from Seattle-Tacoma on Friday. People expressed an emotional connection with him through postings on social media, T-shirts, and tribute songs. Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. 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. He was a faithful husband, a loving son, and a good friend. Updated Nov 30, 2022 at 4:37pm. Who Is The 'Sky King' Richard Russell And How Did He Earn His Title?
Sky King (RE-POST with new footage) || The Day an Airline Employee Richard "Beebo" Russell: Sky King (throwback stolen - TigerDroppings 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? Rainier. 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. 1,012 words / 5:32 To listen in a player, click here. He claimed to have buzzed Mount Rainier. A 2012 article in the World described how Russell met his wife. No one else is thought to have been injured or killed, and the fighter jets did not fire on him, authorities said. Authorities said Russell was suicidal. 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.
The Sky King Richard Russell: Understanding Why He Died Apparently someone stole a Horizon Q and is flying it over SeaTac. 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. There wasnt anything particularly wrong with them. Our first date, he kind of cornered me into it, Hannah Russell said to the site. You can listen to more archived aviation audio on the incident here, some of which captures the mans voice: The site Airline Geeks.com reported, Reports saying that two F-15s have intercepted an Alaska Air Q400, operated by Horizon Air., The Twitter page Royal S. King wrote, On a lake in Tacoma and 2 F-15 have intercepted at @AlaskaAir Q400 south of @SeaTacAirport. Another man wrote, @flytruenorth Are you following this story? Authorities said they did not believe he had a pilots license. Both were armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles[12] and went supersonic, generating sonic booms on the way to the Puget Sound area. Tilden said that air traffic control was immediately aware that Russells take off in the aircraft was an unauthorized departure.. [20], Videos and radio transmissions of the event were followed online, immediately sparking a meme dubbing Russell the "Sky King". 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. According to Eckrote, the plane is highly fragmented and she said that a background investigation is underway to further clarify Richs motive. 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.
Richard "Skyking" Russell : r/lostgeneration Acted alone he is 29 year old Pierce county residence.
Who Is The 'Sky King' Richard Russell And How Did He Earn His Title? Richard Houck, "Sky King" | Counter-Currents Facebook Richard Russell plane crash video was released. Location of SeattleTacoma International Airport (north) and Ketron Island (south) within northwestern Washington state. Our first date, he kind of cornered me into it, Hannah Russell said to the site. "[42] During his conversation with air traffic control, Russell said he "[knew] what [he was] doing a little bit" because he had experience playing video games. Perhaps the least we should do in the wake of such tragedies is to reflect upon the words attributed to Philo of Alexandria: Be kind, for everyone you meet is in the midst of a great struggle.. by Tower tracking flight and in contact. Male is confirmed a suicidal male. (If you need help, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.). Stay tuned., Another indicated, Seatac airspace closed. Im going to disappoint them to hear that I did this. Richard Russell: Details emerge of a compassionate man after Seattle plane heist and fiery crash. Luke Adams ? Ah, Rich, dont say stuff like that, the controller said. Buy "Richard "SkyKing" Russell" by BogTron as a Sticker. On August 10th, 2018, Russell stole the airliner from a maintenance position at the Sea-Tac airport. Aw man, those guys would rough me up if I tried landing there, Rich says. Audio captured emotional conversations between the man, named as Rich, and air traffic controllers trying to help him land safely. Ive got a lot of people that care about me. You went out the way most of us dream, one user wrote. "Guides" The plane was grounded for the night after returning from Victoria, B.C., which was its final scheduled flight of the day. At one point, Rich asked for help in getting the cabin depressurized, complaining he was getting lightheaded. Published At one point, he says to the utterly professional air traffic controller, Im sorry about this. This is not a terrorist incident. The story, despite seeming near-mythic, is true. His performance there was a disappointment; he left for Southwestern Oregon Community College, where he met his wife at a Campus Crusade for Christ meeting. Goodbye" (shown below, left). Another called it cathartic and liberating.. Like a lot of bags. 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. [34][35] The FBI stated, "Interviews with work colleagues, friends, and familyand review of text messages exchanged with Russell during the incidentdid not identify any information that would suggest the theft of the aircraft was related to wider criminal activity or terrorist ideology. Patch confirmed there was a security incident underway at SeaTac. I was dead set against it. Their business contained a sign that read, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Public acts of violence such as mass shootings often reflect the perpetrators troubled, dark past. A former coworker, Rick Christenson, told The Seattle Times: He was a quiet guy. More recently, he listed his occupation as operations agent for Horizon Air at Sea-Tac since April 2018. Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose I guess. I think I might mess something up there, too. Second, psychiatric diagnosis also suggests simple solutions to complex problems: If he did it because he was mentally ill, we need more widely available mental health services.. We've received your submission. Since his famous flight, he had spent a lot of time hiking, reading the Bible, and volunteering with the Forest Service. When I arrived, he was in the kitchen, in the middle of his Sunday morning ritual of cleaning his cleaning supplies. Although he was born in Key West, Fla. he moved to Wasilla when he was 7, according to a website he made in 2017. Pilots kept plane out of harms way and people on ground safe. Cast Your Vote To Select The Meme Of The Month! 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. More information as we learn more. They said the family is moving forward with the difficult talk of processing our grief and asked for space to mourn. On 4chan,[7][8] threads dedicated to Russell were submitted over the next several days, many of which contained photoshops, image macros and fan arts praising the incident and referring to Russell as "Sky King" (shown below). 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. 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. Sea-Tac airport confirmed the plane was down a short time later. 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. Mr. Russell chatted, not too calmly, but coherently, with an air traffic controller during his solo flight. 160. r/lostgeneration. To impress a woman, he arrived in a helicopter to take her on a classified mission, officials said. 2007-2023 2:18. He appeared regretful about the pain he knew would inevitably visit his family. I hope it doesnt ruin your day. Up until then, he had seemed torn between life and death, at least considering the possibility of attempting a landing or ditching the aircraft in the sea. 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. Happy to read and share the best inspirational Sky King Richard Russell quotes, sayings and quotations on Wise Famous Quotes. 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. Other audio reported a ground stop was underway at SeaTac, the airport that services Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. He sounds just like anyone else would if they suddenly found themselves in a similar situation. The hardest part of stealing a commercial plane from an international airport was already over for Richard Russell. Family friend Mike Matthews read a statement from Russells family that said the incident was a complete shock to them. 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.. The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. The libs are trying to solve the housing crisis in deep blue areas by having teachers live with their students. [20], On April 14, 2022, the FBI released 500 pages of previously classified documents related to the investigation. #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.
For Richard Russell | kirkforlatt But he mentioned video games during his recorded conversation with air traffic control, which some have taken as a reference to flight simulator software. Family Left Heartbroken After Airline Worker Steals and Crashes Plane. 1.6K. To be honest with you, commercial aircraft are complex machines. He and his wife had owned a bakery in Oregon but sold it to move closer to her family. The video shows Russell wearing a shirt that reads The skys no limit, as he passed through security at the airport, where he worked.