As Melville noted, We are all somehow dreadfully cracked about the head, and sadly need mending., Be wary of simple explanations of any human behavior, and of simple solutions for complex problems. [19] Alaska Air Group CEO Brad Tilden announced on the same day that the airline was coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration, the FBI, and the National Transportation Safety Board, and was "working to find out everything we possibly can about what happened". 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. Sky King Richard Russell Quotes - Wise Famous Quotes He somehow managed to execute a barrel roll and a few other aerobatic maneuvers before crashing the aircraft onto a sparsely populated island, killing only himself. Yeah I dont know what the burnageis like on a takeoff but yeah. ", "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. On LinkedIn, he wrote that he was owner/operator of Hannah Maries Bakery from 2012 through 2015 in North Bend, Oregon. The majority of the memes are in celebration and memorial of Russell, while others are more trollish shitposts. Below are some of the clips. The incident led to a dramatic and tragic night on August 10, 2018, as aircraft were grounded at Sea-Tac while fighter jets followed the man and air traffic controllers tried unsuccessfully to help him land the aircraft. 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. 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." Before he took off, several people at the airport questioned what was going on. In 1993, Lawnchair Larry Walters was named an At-Risk Survivor in the annual Darwin Awards. Audio released of Russells conversation with an air traffic controller suggests that he was struggling with mental health issues, but his motive for stealing the plane remains unclear. Without Him we would be hopeless. He attended Washington State Global University Campus from 2016-2017, seeking a bachelors degree in social science. This is a Tribute Video to the late Richard Russell, better known as the Sky King. Richard Russell: Family of man who stole plane 'stunned and heartbroken' Normal operations at Sea-Tac Airport have resumed. Richard Russell had a website that appears to have been for a college communications class. The airline confirmed that an unauthorized take-off occurred. Richard Russell, 'Rich': 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know [7], SeattleTacoma air traffic control (ATC) maintained radio contact with the occupant. Never knew he was fighting a battle non of us knew about. [23] The Q400 ultimately crashed at 20:43 local time[1] on Ketron Island in Puget Sound, Pierce County, Washington, killing the occupant and destroying the aircraft. On YouTube, he also went by the name Beebo Russell. Newly released CCTV footage captures the harrowing moment a Washington state airport employee stole an Alaska Airlines plane and took it for a joyride before fatally crashing it. I lift a lot of bags. | Im in the air right now. Our first date, he kind of cornered me into it, Hannah Russell said to the site. And part of his job was to drive the tractor that backed the aircraft into position for takeoff. RIP Sky King, a user wrote. Tower, you need to call and scramble now, one pilot warned, according to the video. Mourners gathered in the comments section of his YouTube video. Who Is The 'Sky King' Richard Russell And How Did He Earn His Title? Excerpts taken from Mr. Ballen 's video on the Sky king.Top 3 stories that sound fake but are 100% real | Part 5:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zaa53S-8lDMMr.Ballen's Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtPrkXdtCM5DACLufB9jbsAHIJACKED SEATTLE PLANE INSANE FOOTAGE, TRAFFIC CONTROL AUDIO, CRASH DAMAGE:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeYVtVg6aGs Raw: Family Press Conference For Suicidal Mechanic Who Stole Plane In Seattle:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5fFJgdhBm4Stepbrother of Richard \"Beebo\" Russell talks about stolen plane incident:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FvRMhQ44kYMusicFrom Internet Archive, Public Domain MusicThe Pachelbel Canon: by Orchestre De Chambre Jean-Franois Paillardhttps://archive.org/details/lp_the-pachelbel-canon-and-other-baroque-favo_orchestre-de-chambre-jean-franois-paillard/disc1/01.02.+Canon+In+D+For+Strings+And+Continuo.mp3Pachelbel's Canon in D:https://archive.org/details/PachelbelsCanoninD It was a strange day when Horizon Airlines Employee Richard "Beebo" Russell stole a plane in the middle of his working shift. I hope they can make it through this. He said that airline employees go through background checks. Filed under On August 11th, 2018, a post about the plane crash was submitted to 4chan's /pol/ board,[1] where an anonymous user replied "Sky King?" Its going to disappoint them to hear I did this, he hauntingly said before his death. Third, and perhaps most importantly, psychiatric diagnoses provide listeners with psychological distance from the victim. Sea-Tac airport confirmed the plane was down a short time later. This video is not meant to glamorize suicide. Others said it was wrong to glorify him for an act that could have killed more people. Although he was born in Key West, Fla. he moved to Wasilla when he was 7, according to a website he made in 2017. 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. #seatac., A woman named Robanne Stading wrote on Twitter, #seatac airport is on a ground halt because evidently a mechanic is flying an unauthorized flightseeing trip around the mtns. Or he could have had grim plans to take his own life. The fighter jets were scrambled from Portland. 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. The flight data recorder may show how well Russell managed the aircrafts myriad functions. A former coworker, Rick Christenson, told The Seattle Times: He was a quiet guy. Cast Your Vote To Select The Meme Of The Month! Or that he appeared to be a happy, regular guy. The story, despite seeming near-mythic, is true. Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose I guess. White nationalists and the 'Sky King' - The Saturday Paper I feel really bad for Richard and for his family. Richard Russell, AKA Rich or Beebo Russell, was named as the airport mechanic who stole a Horizon plane at Sea-Tac and crashed it. However, late in the evening of August 10, 2018, tower audio indicated that some planes were being released. 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. [28] It described the perpetrator, identified as 29-year-old Richard Russell,[29][30] as suicidal and said his actions did not constitute a "terrorist incident". 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.. 0. Im going to disappoint them to hear that I did this. Many people online compared the incident to 2018's incident with Richard Russell, calling Patterson "Sky King 2.0" or "Sky King 2. On August 10, 2018, a Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 was stolen from SeattleTacoma International Airport (SeaTac) in Seattle, Washington. Heres hoping that the next Rich crashes on a couch of a good listener. 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. You went out the way most of us dream, one user wrote. Russell said on the aviation audio, This is probably jail time for life, huh? We love you bud. 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. He tilted the wings and rumbled low over Puget Sound. Updated Nov 30, 2022 at 4:37pm. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt. In the article, Russell described himself as laid back and easy going. [10] According to reports, Patterson called 911 from the plane and threatened to crash it into a Mississippi Walmart. I was dead set against it. Their business contained a sign that read, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Airport (@flySEA) August 11, 2018. Radio banter in between, ending with the intercept audio for Rock 41 and Rock 42. suicidepreventionlifeline.org afsp.org AIRBOYD #SeaTac #ChambersBay #Q400 #Horizon. August 10, 2021 by Kirk Forlatt. Pilot said it was most bizarre thing hed heard in his career. Audio starts with another aircraft reporting the Q400 exiting the maintenance/cargo area and taking off without clearance. Oh- theyve probably got anti-aircraftnot quite ready to bring it down just yet. I hope they can make it through this. He said that airline employees go through background checks. It was worth it, he said, to conveniently travel to Alaska, where he grew up, to visit family.