T he haunting final words of an airport worker who crashed a plane and died have been revealed in a series of audio recordings with air traffic control. Richard Russell, 29, a Horizon Air ground service employee, hijacked an empty passenger plane from Seattle airport and crashed onto a nearby island on Friday night. He had been seen doing loop-the-loops and barrel rolls in the plane as air traffic controllers from Sea-Tac International tried to encourage him to land. Newly released audio recordings from the plane revealed Mr Russell's final conversations with an air traffic controller. He said he “didn’t want to hurt anyone” and apologised to his family for what he was about to do. He told an air traffic controller: “I think I’m going to try and do a barrel roll, and if that goes good I’ll go nose down and call it a night” The empty passenger airplane making an unlikely upside-down aerial loop / AFP/Getty Images As a flight controller tried to persuade him to land, he wondered aloud about whether he had enough fuel to make it to the Olympics, talked of the beautiful view, and said he had a lot of people who cared about him, apologising for what he was doing. "You are very calm, collect, poised," he told the air traffic controller. He said flying was a "blast" and that he didn't need much help: "I've played some video games before." "You think if I land this successfully Alaska will give me a job as a pilot?" he joked A Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 takes off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in SeaTac, Washington / EPA He also told the controller he "wasn't really planning on landing" the aircraft, and he described himself as "just a broken guy." Two fighters jets pursued the plane, but he crashed in Puget Sound after "performing stunts in the air or due to a lack of flying skills", police said. The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Sunday that Mr Russell had died in the fiery wreckage, but whether the crash was deliberate or accidental was one of several topics remaining for investigators. The plane took flight before crashing in a ball flames / Reuters/AP The Seattle FBI office said Sunday that it had recovered the flight data recorder and components of the cockpit voice recorder from the Horizon plane. Mr Russell, a 3 1/2-year Horizon employee, worked as a ground service agent. His responsibilities included towing and pushing aircraft for take-off and gate approach, de-icing them, and handling baggage. Authorities said he used a tractor to rotate the plane 180 degrees, positioning it so that he could taxi towards a runway They said it's not clear whether he had ever taken flight lessons or used flight simulators, or where he gained the skills to take off. The plane did not require a key, but it did require buttons and switches to be activated in a particular order. Authorities sent fighter jets to escort him, and the controller repeatedly tried to direct him to runways. But the plane slammed into tiny Ketron Island, a sparsely populated island southwest of Tacoma. In a statement, Mr Russell’s family said they were “stunned and heartbroken”. They added: “He was right in saying that there are so many people who loved him.” For confidential support The Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1800 273 8255. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org.<doc-sep>Get email updates with the day's biggest stories Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice The remains of a "suicidal" Horizon Air employee who crashed a stolen passenger plane on an island outside Seattle have been found. Ground service agent Richard Russell, 29, was seen doing loops and other air stunts in the 76-seat aircraft after staging an unauthorised take-off. In distressing audio recordings from inside the cockpit, he could be heard describing himself as a "broken guy" who had "a few screws loose I guess". He was followed by two military jets before crashing on Ketron Island in Puget Sound, along the northwestern coast of Washington state, US. Today, it emerged that his remains have been discovered at the crash site, along with hundreds of shattered pieces of the downed Q400 turboprop. The debris, which "doesn't resemble a plane", reportedly includes the flight data recorder and components of the cockpit voice recorder. (Image: KING 5 NEWS) (Image: KING 5 NEWS) (Image: Facebook / wordpress) The discovery was made on the wooded island yesterday. Describing the wreckage, Debra Eckrote of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) told CNN: "You couldn't even tell it was a plane except for some of the bigger sections, like the wing section. She added: "Even the small sections, most of it doesn't resemble a plane." Shocking aerial footage, taken by KING 5, shows emergency crews sifting through the debris on the island, which is covered in trees. Officials are now set to analyse the aircraft's "burned" data recorder. The Pierce County Sheriff's Department has said Richard, who was married, was the only person aboard the aircraft and was "suicidal". In a statement on Saturday, the grieving family of the airline worker, who also went by the name Beebo, spoke of their "complete shock". (Image: KING 5 NEWS) (Image: Twitter/@actualcarrie) (Image: Facebook / wordpress) They said: "He was a faithful husband, a loving son, and a good friend. "This is a complete shock to us. We are devastated by these events and Jesus is truly the only one holding this family together right now." Richard was not known to have had a pilot's licence, Horizon Air Chief Executive Gary Beck said at a news conference. It was not clear how he was able to take off and fly as he did. "There were some maneuvers that were done that were incredible maneuvers with the aircraft," Mr Beck said. "Commercial aircraft are complex machines. "They're not as easy to fly as, say, a Cessna 150, so I don't know how he achieved the experience that he did." Speaking to the Seattle Times , a retired Horizon Air operational supervisor said Richard was "quiet guy" who was seemingly well-liked by colleagues. (Image: Twitter/@drbmbdgty) (Image: Twitter/@aliengelhardt) (Image: Facebook / wordpress) "I feel really bad for Richard and for his family," Rick Christenson added. "I hope they can make it through this.” Richard said he was hoping for a "moment of serenity" after taking off at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport last night. He apologised to those who care about him while speaking to air traffic controllers, who were attempting to help him land the aircraft safely. In the audio recordings, which emerged last week, he said he planned to attempt "a barrel roll" before nose-diving and "calling it a night". He appeared calm at first and even joked about being offered a job as a pilot if he did manage to land the aircraft safely. But he said: "I wouldn't know how to land. "I wasn't really planning on landing it." The sheriff's office said no passengers were onboard the aircraft. (Image: KIRO 7) (Image: Facebook / wordpress) Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Play now In a previous Twitter post, it said preliminary information suggested the crash occurred due to "doing stunts in air or lack of flying skills". It was not a terrorist incident, the sheriff's office added. In the audio recordings, Richard appeared to become distressed during the conversation after reporting concerns his fuel was running out. He also told an air traffic controller an engine might have "blown". "Sorry, my mic came off," he said. "I threw up a little bit. I'm sorry about this, I hope it doesn't ruin your day." He said he felt "kind of lightheaded" and "dizzy". "Man, the sights went by so fast," he said. "I was thinking, like, I'm going to have this moment of serenity, take in all the sights. There's a lot of pretty stuff, but I think they're prettier in a different context." He made it clear he did not want anyone else to be hurt. After a male voice on the other end of the radio could be heard saying "he just needs some help controlling his aircraft", Richard replied "Nah". He added: "I don't need that much help, I've played some video games before. I would like to figure out how to get this cabin altitude... "I know where the box is... I would like to get some... make it pressurised or something so I'm not so lightheaded." Richard said he was "gonna land it in a safe kind of manner". "I think I'm gonna try to do a barrel roll, and if that goes good, I'm just gonna nose down and call it a night," he told the air traffic controller. He also admitted "there are a lot of people who care about me". Richard's remains were later discovered at the crash site. The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed they belonged to him, KIRO 7 reports. Richard had worked for Horizon Air - a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group - for three and a half years and had clearance to tow planes, Alaska Airlines Chief Executive Brad Tilden said at the news conference. Mr Tilden said planes of that type do not have doors that lock or ignition keys like cars. (Image: Facebook / wordpress) "The setup in aviation in America is we secure the airfield and then we have the mindset that we have employees that are credentialed and authorized to be there," he said, adding that the airline was working with authorities to investigate. The FBI is leading the probe, which also includes the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. "We are going to be thorough, which means taking the time needed to scour the area, delve into the background of the individual believed responsible, and review every aspect of this incident with all appropriate public & private partners," the FBI said in a statement. Employees in the tow team are said to be trained how to use some plane systems - like the hydraulics, radios and auxiliary power unit, According to a post on his blog around two years ago, Richard was born in Key West, Florida, but moved to Wasilla, Alaska, when he was seven. In 2010, he met his "incredible" wife Hannah in Oregon. They tied the knot a year later before opening a bakery together. (Image: KIRO 7) However, they apparently decided to sell the bakery and move in 2015 "because we were both so far removed from our families". Richard wrote: "Failing to convince Hannah of Alaska’s greatness, we settled on Sumner because of its close proximity to her family. "I, meanwhile, obtained a job working for Horizon Airlines (partnered with Alaska Airlines) so I’m able to fly to Alaska at my leisure. "In this season of life we enjoy exploring as much as possible, whether its a day (or so) trip to one of Alaska Airline’s destinations, or visiting a new area of Washington." He added: "Once I earn my Bachelors in Social Sciences I will either seek a management position where I’m at now, or possibly join the military as an officer." His blog features pictures of him and Hannah at various locations. (Image: KIRO 7) In a statement on Saturday, Mr Tilden said Alaska Airlines was working to find out everything it possibly can about the incident. He said: “There was an incident late yesterday involving the unauthorized operation of one of our aircraft that took off from Sea-Tac around 8 p.m. “We are still gathering facts, but at this point we understand there was only one person aboard, an employee of Horizon Air, who was operating the aircraft. "I want to share how incredibly sad all of us at Alaska are about this incident. Our heart is heavy for the family and friends of the person involved." He added: “We’re working to find out everything we possibly can about what happened, working with the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the National Transportation Safety Board. We are giving those investigators our full support and cooperation. Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Play now “With these investigations underway, our focus will remain on supporting the family of the individual involved, the broader Alaska and Horizon family, and our communities and guests." It remains unclear how Richard was able to taxi the plane on a runway and take off without authorisation. Video footage on social media showed a large plane flying above the Seattle area with an F-15 following it. "Okay this insane. A pilot on the plane in front of us just went rogue and took off on an empty plane bypassing orders from the tower," tweeted Ben Schaechter, a passenger on a plane waiting to take off before the incident. Ketron Island is a sparsely populated island 25 miles southwest of the airport. The Bombardier Q400 turboprop airplane is designed for shorter-distance flights and can seat 76 passengers, Alaska Air said on its website. Normal operations have resumed at the airfield. If you need to speak to someone, Samaritans are available 24/7 by calling 116 123 or by emailing jo@samaritans.org<doc-sep>
The FBI has located the black box flight recorder from the Horizon Air crash as the family of a suicidal airline worker who stole the plane issued a statement saying they are “stunned and heartbroken” by his death. “This is a complete shock to us,” the family said. “We are devastated by these events, and Jesus is truly the only one holding this family together right now. Without him, we would be hopeless.” The 29-year-old man, identified on Sunday as Richard Russell, took off in the Horizon Air turbo Bombardier Q400 turboprop on Friday night from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. US authorities are investigating how he managed to steal an empty airliner from Seattle’s airport, sparking a massive security alert before diving the plane into a sparsely inhabited coastal island. 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. Weird times. pic.twitter.com/Ra4LcIhwfU — bmbdgty (@drbmbdgty) August 11, 2018 Despite having no pilot licence, Mr Russell was able to fly for about an hour shadowed by a pair of F-15 fighter planes while chatting amiably with air traffic controllers in between barrel rolls and loop-the-loops before deliberately crashing into Ketron Island in Puget Sound, about 40 kilometres to the southwest of Seattle. In partial recordings of his conversations with air traffic controllers, the man said he was sorry to disappoint people who cared about him and described himself as a “broken guy”. “Got a few screws loose, I guess,” he is heard saying in the recording. “Never really knew it until now.” The ease with which he stole the plane has raised troubling questions about airfield security, with speculation in US media that a terrorist might easily have done the same thing and taken out a big swathe of Seattle. ATC Audio from the stolen Horizon Air Q400: “I think I am going to try to do a barrel roll and if that goes good then I am going to go nose down and call it a night.” pic.twitter.com/83kpL44rw9 — Benjamin Bearup (@TheAviationBeat) August 11, 2018 Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) taskforces are all investigating the bizarre incident. “Until the FBI has the opportunity to get better background on the person, find out what motive they had, it’s a little too early to make a determination on what the objective was,” the NTSB’s western Pacific region chief, Debra Eckrote, said. “He’s ground support so they have access to aircraft,” she said of the man. Among the questions to be answered is how the employee was able to taxi the plane on a runway and take off without authorisation. Two F-15 fighter jets took to the air from their base in Portland, Oregon, and were on the scene within minutes as panic about the pilot’s motive and possible intentions spread through the region. The warplanes inadvertently hiked fears when they broke the sound barrier while racing at low altitude to tail the rogue airliner, generating a pair of sonic booms widely mistaken for the sound of explosions. The jets were armed and authorised to unleash their missiles but did not open fire, North American Aerospace Defence Command spokesman Cameron Hillier said. Instead, the F-15 pilots tried to shepherd the plane to the west, away from populated areas. No one was hurt on the ground, authorities said. Fire crews were working to extinguish a massive post-crash fire in the pine forest on Ketron Island. No one was injured on the ground, authorities said. “We’re working to find out everything we possibly can about what happened,” said Brad Tilden, chief executive of Alaska Air Group, the corporate parent of Horizon. Told F 15s made it within a few minutes of theft of plane. Pilots kept plane out of harms way and people on ground safe. Yay air force . They may not admit for a few days. But is true.. — Pierce Co Sheriff (@PierceSheriff) August 11, 2018 Stolen horizon airplane crashed into Ketron island. Preliminary info is that a mechanic from unknown airlines stole plane. Was doing stunts in air or lack of flying skills caused crash into Island — Pierce Co Sheriff (@PierceSheriff) August 11, 2018 Investigators expect they will be able to recover both the cockpit voice recorder and the event data recorder from the plane. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said that President Donald Trump is “monitoring the situation”.