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2018 Horizon Air Q400 incident

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2018 Horizon Air Q400 incident
N449QX, the aircraft involved in the incident, pictured in 2015
Incident
DateAugust 10, 2018
SummaryAircraft theft and crash, under investigation
SiteKetron Island, Washington, United States
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBombardier Dash 8 Q400
RegistrationN449QX
Flight originSeattle–Tacoma International Airport
Occupants1
Fatalities1
Survivors0

On August 10, 2018, a Horizon Air Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 was stolen from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport ("Sea–Tac") in SeaTac, Washington. The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service operator with no piloting experience. He performed an unauthorized takeoff and two F-15 fighter jets were subsequently scrambled to intercept the aircraft. Sea–Tac air traffic control made radio contact with Russell, the sole occupant, who was ultimately killed when the aircraft crashed on the lightly populated Ketron Island in Puget Sound.

Aircraft

The incident aircraft was a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400, owned by Horizon Air (and operating for Alaska Airlines) with the registration N449QX[1][2] and serial number 4410. It had first flown in 2012 and was delivered new to Horizon Air in the same year.[2] The same aircraft landed at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport at 13:35 local time after an in-service flight from Victoria, British Columbia.[3]

Incident

The aircraft was stolen from a maintenance position at Sea–Tac airport and maneuvered to runway 16C via taxiways. Seattle Tower tried several times to get the aircraft to identify itself on frequency; there was no response.[3] A nearby Alaska Airlines jet on the ground reported that the aircraft had begun a takeoff roll with its wheels smoking,[4] and an unauthorized take-off was made at 19:32 local time (02:32 UTC, August 11).[5][6][7] In response two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagles of the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Fighter Wing under the command of NORAD[8] were scrambled at around 8:45 p.m. local time[9] from Portland Air National Guard Base to intercept it, both going supersonic and generating sonic booms in their haste.[2][10][11] Flights in and out of the airport were temporarily suspended.[5]

Seattle–Tacoma air traffic control maintained radio contact with the occupant for twenty-five minutes.[12] The transmissions were on an open frequency and were quickly posted on social media websites.[13] Speaking in a "frenzied stream of consciousness", the occupant, who identified himself as "Rich", described himself as being a "man in crisis."[14] He said he was a "broken guy, got a few screws loose I guess. Never really knew it until now."[15] When ATC suggested that the plane be landed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the occupant refused, claiming that "Those guys will rough me up if I try and land there. I think I might mess something up there, too. I wouldn’t want to do that."[16] He spoke of wanting to do "a couple maneuvers to see what [the plane] can do", and requested the coordinates of an orca that had been brought to national attention, saying, "I want to go see that guy." He stated that he did not want to hurt anyone,[17][18] and in the final minutes of the communication apologized to his friends and family.[13] Near the end of the flight, the aircraft was filmed doing aerobatic maneuvers over Puget Sound including a split S and several sharp turns, footage of which appeared on social media.[19] A veteran pilot said the maneuvers "seemed pretty well executed, without either stalling or pulling the wings off."[20] When an air traffic controller requested he land the plane after these maneuvers, he said "I don't know. I don't want to. I was kind of hoping that was gonna be it, you know?"[15][17] He added that he "wasn't really planning on landing it."[21]

The Q400 ultimately crashed on Ketron Island in Pierce County, Washington, killing the occupant and destroying the aircraft.[2] The crash happened about an hour after the aircraft had taken off from Sea–Tac;[7] a tow boat crew was the first to respond.[22] Firefighters from West Pierce Fire and Rescue and other nearby departments arrived on the island approximately 1.5 hours after the crash, due to waits for the Steilacoom–Anderson Island ferry, and contending with thick brush when crews arrived on scene. The fire was suppressed by a lack of wind and dry brush, and was extinguished by the following morning.[23][24]

Investigation

The Pierce County Sheriff's Office both thanked the public for its accurate information, and acknowledged on Saturday that federal agencies would be leading the investigation, primarily the Seattle office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).[25] It had described the perpetrator as suicidal and said his actions did not constitute a "terrorist incident".[17] 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".[26] The FBI said in a statement that “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 and private partners."[27] On August 12, the FBI said that it had recovered the flight data recorder along with components of the cockpit voice recorder. The equipment was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board for processing.[28]

Perpetrator

Law enforcement officials identified the perpetrator as 29-year-old Richard Russell,[29][30][31] a Horizon Air ground service operator from Sumner, Washington.[32] He had been part of a tow team, which repositions aircraft on the airport apron, for about four years.[29] An operational supervisor for Horizon Air described Russell as "a quiet guy" who was "well liked by the other workers".[33]

According to a blog Russell maintained until December 2017, he was born in Key West, Florida, and moved to Wasilla, Alaska, at the age of seven.[33] He often used the name "Beebo Russell" on social media. He had been married since 2012; he met his wife in 2011 at a Campus Crusade for Christ meeting at Southwestern Oregon Community College. Together they started a bakery in North Bend, Oregon.[34] He was an avid traveler and attended Washington State University Global Campus from 2016 to 2017, majoring in social science. He had planned to seek a management position at Horizon Air or become a military officer after receiving his degree.[35] He was active in his church and a leader in the local Christian youth ministry, Young Life.[33]

CEO of Horizon Air Gary Beck stated that, as far as the company knew, Russell did not have a pilot's license. Beck said the aerial maneuvers were "incredible" and that he "did not know how [Russell] achieved the experience that he did."[36] During his conversation with air traffic control, Russell said he knew how to fly a plane as he had a lot of experience with playing video games.[35]

His family, in a statement read by a family friend, said that they were "stunned and heartbroken" and "devastated by the events".[37]

See also

References

  1. ^ Stewart, Ashley (August 10, 2018). "Alaska Air Horizon plane crashes after being stolen by airline employee". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d "N449QX Criminal Occurrence description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Day, Matt (August 11, 2018). ""We were all screaming, 'Oh my god'": How the Horizon Air theft and crash unfolded". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  4. ^ ""We were all screaming, 'Oh my god'": How the Horizon Air theft and crash unfolded". The Seattle Times. August 11, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  5. ^ a b "'Stolen' plane closes Seattle airport before crashing into sea". BBC News Online. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  6. ^ Chung, Alison; Marris, Sharon. "Stolen plane was chased by military jets before it crashed". Sky News. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  7. ^ a b Hradecky, Simon. "Crash: Horizon DH8D at Ketron Island on Aug 10th 2018, stolen aircraft crashed into forest". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  8. ^ "Stolen plane closes Seattle-Tacoma airport before crashing". BBC. August 11, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  9. ^ Rogoway, Tyler. "Oregon F-15s Scramble To Seattle To Intercept Possibly Stolen Q400 Airliner (Updated)". The Drive. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  10. ^ Demerly, Tom (August 11, 2018). "F-15Cs Intercept Stolen DASH-8 Airliner out of Seattle Tacoma Airport Before Crash". The Aviationist. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  11. ^ "LIVE: Plane stolen from Sea-Tac Airport crashes on small island; no passengers on board". abc10.com. KXTV-TV. August 10, 2018. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  12. ^ Sailor, Craig (August 11, 2018). "Pilot wanted to do aerobatics, apologized for his actions as he spoke with air traffic control". The News Tribune. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  13. ^ a b Copp, Tara (August 11, 2018). "NORAD F-15Cs intercept suicidal pilot in dramatic chase near Seattle". Military Times. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  14. ^ "LISTEN: Man who stole plane talks with air traffic control before crash". KING-TV. King 5. August 10, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  15. ^ a b Fortin, Jacey (August 11, 2018). "Passenger Plane Stolen by Employee Crashes on Island Near Seattle Airport". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  16. ^ Miroff, Nick; Horton, Alex. "Seattle hijacker's plane heist, midair stunts and fiery crash expose gaps in aviation security". The Washington Post Online. The Washington Post. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  17. ^ a b c Cook, Jeffrey (August 11, 2018). "Airline worker who stole plane told air traffic control 'I don't want to hurt no one'". abc13.com. KTRK-TV. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  18. ^ Miroff, Nick; Horton, Alex (August 11, 2018). "Seattle hijacker's plane heist, midair stunts and fiery crash expose gaps in aviation security". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  19. ^ Kheel, Julian (August 11, 2018). "Horizon Air Q400 Aircraft Crashes After Being Stolen From Seattle Airport". The Points Guy. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  20. ^ Clive, Irving (August 12, 2018). "SeaTac Hijacker Had the Skills to Take Out a Skyscraper Horizon Air ground handler Richard Russell knew how to fly without tearing the plane apart—and enough fuel to be a flying bomb. How was he able to take off without being stopped?". Daily Beast. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  21. ^ Sider, Alison; Pasztor, Andy; Greene, Jay (August 12, 2018). "Plane Thief Said He Trained on Games, Didn't Plan to Land". The Wall Street Journal.
  22. ^ MyNorthWestStaff (August 11, 2018). "Towboat crew dropped everything to respond to Ketron Island crash". My Northwest. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  23. ^ Misciagna, Vanessa (August 12, 2018). "Firefighters battle more than flames after Ketron Island plane crash". KING-TV. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  24. ^ Pulkkinen, Levi (August 12, 2018). "Seattle plane crash: 'heartbroken' family remember gentle man who meant no harm". The Guardian. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  25. ^ Pierce County Sheriff's Department [@PierceSheriff] (August 11, 2018). "Thanks to everyone for sharing accurate information, insuring the public's safety. The federal agencies will lead the investigation. All further inquiries should be directed to the Seattle FBI office" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  26. ^ "Authorities probe how 'suicidal' employee could steal plane from Seattle airport". Honolulu Star Advertiser. August 11, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  27. ^ "Man who sought 'serenity' before crashing stolen plane near Seattle is identified". The Straits Times. August 11, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  28. ^ "Human remains, black box found from plane stolen by Seattle airport employee". USA Today. August 13, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  29. ^ a b Kogan, Danielle (August 11, 2018). "ALASKA AIRLINES: EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT THE SUICIDAL HIJACKER". Newsweek. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  30. ^ See also Wikidata:Richard Russell (Q56063685)
  31. ^ "Airplane taken from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has crashed". Seattle Times. August 10, 2018. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  32. ^ "Seattle: stolen plane crashes after rogue take-off from Sea-Tac airport". The Guardian. August 11, 2018. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  33. ^ a b c "Man who took Horizon Air plane from Sea-Tac Airport was quiet, well liked, says former co-worker". The Seattle Times. August 11, 2018. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  34. ^ Staff writer(s) (April 2, 2012). "New bakery is a labor of love". The World.
  35. ^ a b Jessica McBride. "Richard Russell, 'Rich': 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com.
  36. ^ "Authorities don't believe man who stole plane had a pilot's license". CBS. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  37. ^ D’Angelo, Bob (August 12, 2018). "Who was Richard Russell? 7 things to know". AJC. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
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