The FBI has completed its investigation of the unauthorized flight of a
Horizon Air Q400 aircraft that occurred on Friday, August 10, 2018, from
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington. Evidence collected
during the course of the investigation indicates Richard Russell, 28, of Sumner, Washington,
piloted the aircraft and that the final descent to the ground
was intentional. The 76-seat airliner was captured on video
doing large loops and other risky air stunts during its hour-long
flight. It crashed an hour after takeoff on a sparsely populated island.
Extensive investigative activity failed to reveal any additional
subject(s) involved in the planning or execution of the unauthorized
flight.
A Horizon Air DHC-8-402Q (N449QX)
crashed after being stolen from Seattle/Tacoma International Airport,
Washington, USA. The 28-year old airline ground-service agent
at Seattle/Tacoma International Airport arrived at the airport for his
work shift at 14:36 hours local time. At 19:15 hours he arrived in a tow
vehicle at the Cargo 1 ramp, at the far north end of the airport close
to the thresholds of runway 16L, C and R. He climbed aboard and started
the engines before briefly exiting the aircraft in order to turn
aircraft 180 degrees with the nose towards the airfield. At 19:32 the
aircraft taxied away from the apron. A tower controller attempted to
contact the aircraft, but it took off from runway 16C at 19:33 hours. The aircraft then began manoeuvering over
Puget Sound and was seen to perform a split S, pulling up just above the
water.
Airline officials said they are not sure how
the ground services worker learned to operate a plane, much less perform
flying stunts.
There are many switches and levers to start a plane, Horizon Air CEO
Gary Beck said at a news conference. "We don’t know how he learned to do
that."
"To our knowledge he did not have a pilot's license," Beck said. But he
performed some "incredible" maneuvers.
During these manoeuvres the person in
control of the aircraft was in radio contact with air traffic control. McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle fighter
aircraft of the Oregon Air National Guard were dispatched and followed
the aircraft. At 20:46 hours the aircraft entered a
significant sideslip with the control column in a position forward of
neutral. The controls were pushed further forward and six seconds later,
the aircraft impacted wooded terrain on Ketron Island, 40 km to the
southwest of the Seattle/Tacoma Airport. Both wings broke off in the
accident sequence and the fuselage came to rest inverted. The sole
person on board the aircraft was killed.
Transcript of extraordinary
conversation between hijacker and air traffic control Audio has emerged of an extraordinary
conversation between a “suicidal” airline employee who stole a passenger
plane and air traffic controllers trying to guide him back down. The
ground service agent took off from a Seattle airport in a 76-seater
plane at the height of rush hour on Friday evening. The Horizon Air Q400, which performed a
number of dangerous manoeuvres, was chased by military jets before it
crashed into a small island in the Puget Sound after 8pm. No one else
was on board. In audio obtained by The Seattle Times, the 28-year-old
man is called "Rich" by air traffic controllers at Sea-Tac International
Airport. Below is the transcript of the audio
released so far. First recording: Rich: ...Some gas to go check out the
Olympics and errr, yeah. Air traffic controller (ATC): Ok and Rich, do you know,
are you able to tell what altitude you are at? Rich: Yeah that’s all mumbo… I have no idea
what all that means, I wouldn’t know how to punch it in. I’m off
autopilot.
(Inaudible) Rich: You taking me to the jets? ATC: Nah I’m not taking you to any jets, I’m actually
keeping you away from aircraft that are trying to land at Sea-Tac. Rich: Oh ok yeah I don’t wanna screw with
that. I’m glad you’re not, you know, screwing up everyone else’s day on
account of me. ATC: (Inaudible) Can we just shut down? Rich: I’m down to 21 hundred, I started
like 30 something. ATC: Rich you said you had 2,100 pounds of fuel left? Rich: Yeah I don’t know what the burnage...
burnout... is like on take-off, but yeah it’s burned quite a bit faster
than I expected. ATC: (Inaudible) Rich: Ah man those guys would rough me up
if I tried landing that. I think I might mess something up there too. I
wouldn’t want to do that. I’ll hopefully… Oh they’ve probably got
anti-aircraft!” ATC: No they don’t have any of that stuff. We’re just
trying to find a place for you to land safely. Rich: Yeah I’m not quite ready to bring it
down just yet, but holy smokes I’ve got to stop looking at the fuel
because it’s going down quick. ATC: Ok Rich if you could, could you start a left-hand
turn, and we’ll take you down to the southeast please. Rich: This is probably like jail time for
life, huh? I mean I would hope it is for a guy like me. ATC: Well Rich we’re not going to worry or think about
that, but could you start a left-hand turn please? Second recording: Rich: Hey, you think if I land this
successfully (inaudible) would give me a job as a pilot? ATC: You know I think they would give you a job doing
anything if you can pull this off. Rich: Yeeeeahhh right! Nah I’m a white guy…
(audio cuts). Third recording: ATC: If you wanted to land, probably the best bet is
that runway just ahead and to your left. Again that’s McChord field, um,
if you wanted to try that might be the best way to set up and see if you
can land there, or just like the pilot suggests another option would be
over Puget Sound into the water. Rich: Dang, you talk to McChord yet?
Because I don’t think I’d be happy with you telling me I could land like
that, because I could mess stuff up. ATC: Well Rich I already spoke to ‘em and just like me,
what we want to see is you not get hurt or anybody else get hurt, so
like I said if you want to try to land that’s probably the best place to
go. Rich: Hey I want the coordinates of that
orca, with err, you know the mama orca with the baby, I wanna go see
that guy.
Interviews with work colleagues, friends, and family - and review of
text messages exchanged with Russell during the incident - did not
identify any information that would suggest the theft of the aircraft
was related to wider criminal activity or terrorist ideology. Although
investigators received information regarding Russell’s background,
possible stressors, and personal life, no element provided a clear
motivation for Russell’s actions.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the human remains
found among aircraft materials from the crash site on Ketron Island as
belonging to Russell and later provided a post-mortem examination report
to the FBI that lists the cause of death as multiple traumatic injuries
due to airplane crash and the manner of death as suicide. As part of its
analysis, the Medical Examiner’s Office worked with the FBI to review
the conversations Russell had with airport traffic control (captured on
recordings), flight data, and information received by the FBI through
extensive interviews. The Medical Examiner’s Office noted that
“there is sufficient evidence to conclude that the death was
intentional.”
Угнавший из аэропорта Сиэтла самолет
работник Richard Russell в переговорах с диспетчерами заявил, что надеялся ощутить в
небе "момент безмятежности" и называл себя "сломленным парнем". Из
расшифровки переговоров угонщика с диспетчерами следует, что угонщик
пошутил, что в случае успешной посадки ему предложат работу пилота,
однако затем признался, что не знает, как сажать воздушное судно и
вообще не планировал приземляться. Также он заявил дисптечерам, что очень
многие люди, которым он важен, расстроятся из-за его поступка, и
попросил у них прощения. «Мне жаль. Я надеюсь, это не испортит вам
день», - сказал потом угонщик. По данным издания, диспетчеры и командир
воздушного судна в свою очередь пытались помочь мужчине посадить самолет
и отговаривали его от выполнения бочки и других опасных маневров.
Полиция США не считает угон самолета в
Сиэтле терактом. Самолет DHC-8-402Q (N449QX)
потерпевший крушение принадлежал авиакомпании Horizon Air.
Угонщик погиб.
Полетите от международното летище „Сиатъл -
Такома” във Вашингтон са временно спрени, след като пътнически самолет
de Havilland Canada DHC-8-402Q Dash 8 с регистрационни
знаци N449QX на Horizon Air излита без
позволение. Оказва се, че на борда му е летищният работник
Ричард Ръсел на 28 години.
Същият оперирал със самолетообслужващата техника за теглене на
самолетите на мястото им за паркиране. Няма данни да е получавал
летателна подготовка, освен че поради функционалните си задължения е
имал достъп до кабината на самолета и е бил запознат с
последователността от дейности за запускане на двигателите му. Знае се,
че се е интересувал в интернет от материали свързани с пилотирането му.
Федералното бюро за разследване на САЩ не открива в обстоятелствата
около събитието замесени други лица, религиозни или идеологически
подбуди, освен лична неудовлетвореност и желание за самоубийство.
Очевидци и експерти са удивени от фигурите
на сложния пилотаж изпълнени при полета.
Вдигнати са изтребители F-15 да го
съпровождат. Забелязъл ги, Ричард казва на диспечера от кулата, че не
иска да нарани никого.
Молят го да завие наляво и обещават да му
помогнат да приземи самолета безопасно, а той показва чувството си за
хумор: „Това е вероятно като доживотен затвор,
мисля за момче като мен!..Мислите ли, че ако успея да го приземя,
авиокомпанията ще ме назначи за летец!?” Ричард се извинява и иска прошка от близките
си и всички ония, които ги е грижа за него, заради това което прави.
Споделя, че е сломен, с разбит живот. „Хей, искам координатите на онази орка, нали
я знаете, майката орка с бебето, бих искал да го видя това момче!”.
Самолетът е насочен преднамерено към остров
Кетрон, където се разбива и е обхванат от пламъци. Почти едночасовият полет на Ричард Ръсел (от
19:33 до 20:46 м. вр.) приключва по заник Слънце, а с него и животът на
един изпълнен със заложби младеж. Наистина жалко!
10.08.2018/
20:46 местное время
Служител
