Seattle hijacking audio12/3/2023 “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. “In this season of life we enjoy exploring as much as possible, whether it’s 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. Russell wrote that he was pursuing his Bachelor of Social Sciences and hoped to work his way up to a management position at Horizon Air or to join the military or law enforcement. 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. They opened a bakery and ran it for three years before selling it in 2015 to be closer to Hannah’s family. Goelz said what was a tragedy for the family could have ended much worse: "We are all lucky that a catastrophe for a broader number of people was avoided.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," the statement said. Russell's family released a statement saying they were "stunned and heartbroken." They described "Beebo" as a warm and compassionate man. "It's going to disappoint them to hear that I did this." "I've got a lot of people who care about me," Russell told air traffic control. But Russell apparently had no intention of landing the plane. Military jets were flying nearby for most of Russell's flight. Air traffic control suggested he land at McChord Field because it was only about 30 miles south of the Seattle-Tacoma airport. “You think if I land this successfully, Alaska will give me a job as a pilot?” he joked. But he later confided to controllers that he was "just a broken guy." He said he was having a "blast" and initially suggested he might try to land. Russell told ground control he had played enough video games to figure out how to fly the plane. Tilden said the tragedy will push the industry to ensure that a similar incident never happens again. The setup in aviation in America is we secure the airfield." "The doors of the airplanes are not keyed like a car. "This is aviation in America," Tilden said. But he did need to activate a series of switches to get the plane into the air. Russell, who was in uniform when he entered the plane and walked into the cockpit, didn't need a key. "That's the way fares are kept lower."Īuthorities say Russell used a vehicle on the tarmac to point the plane toward the runway. "The way planes are turned around fast is that folks multitask," Goelz said. More: Family members of Richard Russell are 'stunned and heartbroken' More: Hijacking at Seattle-Tacoma airport: Here's what we know He tapped some of those skills to steal the plane. Russell, 29, had worked for the airline for 3½ years and had full credentials to be near the plane, Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden said. Russell's duties varied widely, from handling luggage and cleaning out planes to towing, de-icing and directing them toward runways and gates. The plane was owned by Horizon Air, in turn owned by the company that owns Alaska Airlines. The Bombardier Q400 that Russell pilfered is a turboprop – a jet engine in which a turbine drives the propeller – that seats 76 people. Human remains also were found. The medical examiner's office in Pierce County, Washington, confirmed that Russell died in the crash. The FBI said late Sunday that the data recorder was recovered along with "components" of the cockpit voice recorder. The equipment was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board for processing, the FBI said. "There were any number of catastrophic things that could have gone wrong. "That was telling, but the truth is that on any one of his maneuvers the plane could have stalled," Goelz told USA TODAY. That comment may have reflected Russell's determination not to hurt anyone, says Peter Goelz, a former managing director with the National Transportation Safety Board. Russell declined a suggestion to land at nearby McChord Field, saying he might "mess something up" at the Air Force Base. Richard Russell, 29, swiped the empty plane from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Friday and began a 75-minute flight complete with barrel rolls and a darkly comedic running commentary with air traffic controllers trying to talk him down. Watch Video: Raw audio: Man who stole plane said he was a 'broken guy'Īn airport worker's deranged flight in a stolen commercial jet risked hundreds of lives as he flew perilously close to highly populated areas before he crashed into a forest.
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