Man who stole plane and took it on joyride shared final message to family before crash

Richard Russel took the aircraft on an unauthorised flight before plummeting to his death in 2018.

Richard Russell stole an empty passenger plane from Seattle Airport before taking it on a joyride and ultimately plummeting to Ketron Island in the Puget Sound, Washington in 2018.

The man, originally from Sumner, Washington, had full clearance to be on the runway at Sea-Tac International Airport, and used a pushback tractor machine to board the Horizon Air Q400 after moving it, taking off and flying through the Washington airspace on the evening of August 10, 2018.

In audio recordings from the flight, an air traffic controller can be heard trying to convince Russell to land the plane, though he resisted.

In a harrowing message from the cockpit, Russell could be heard telling air traffic control: "I’ve got a lot of people that care about me. It’s going to disappoint them to hear that I did this.

"I would like to apologise to each and every one of them."

He admitted: "Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess, never really knew it till now." 

The 29 year-old continued to say that he might land the unauthorised flight, before adding that he might attempt a barrel roll before wanting to go 'nose down and call it a night'.

Videos of the incident show flames on the island, which was minimally populated, with no buildings being damaged as a result.

In a statement, the family of the Horizon Air ground service agent said they were 'stunned and heartbroken' at his actions and death.

Also known for the nickname Beebo, his family described him as 'a faithful husband, a loving son and a good friend'.

They further explained: "It may seem difficult for those watching at home to believe, but Beebo was a warm, compassionate man."

Russell didn't have a pilot licence, but was familiar with the world of aviation having been part of a tow team on the runway, which repositions aircraft once it's time to taxi, for around four years.

It was confirmed by federal investigators that the aircraft had broken into several pieces, while regional chief with the National Transportation Safety Board, Debra Eckrote, revealed that the wings were off the plane and the fuselage was upside down following the crash.