![]() 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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