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Richard Russell has been identified as the 29-year-old man who stole an Alaska Airlines plane from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport late Friday night, before crashing the plane and taking his life. Russell, who was married, was a Horizon Air employee and had worked at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for nearly four years.
Russell hijacked an empty 76-seat turboprop Q400 plane. Russell was doing stunts in the air with the plane and joking with Air Traffic controllers before he crashed in a wooded area near Ketron Island.
“I’ve got a lot of people that care about me. I’m going to disappoint them to hear that I did this,” Russell could be heard saying before taking his own life. “I would like to apologize to each and every one of them. Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose I guess. Never really knew it, until now.”
https://twitter.com/KIRO7Seattle/status/1028405293749686272
Russell flew the plane for nearly an hour before the crash. Police blame “doing stunts in the air and a lack of flying skills” for the fatal ending to his joyride.
A WordPress site that appears to belong to Russell provided more information into his life.
Hey all! My names Richard Russell, I’m 27 and currently living in Sumner, WA with my incredible wife Hannah. I was born in Key West, Florida, and moved to Wasilla, Alaska when I was 7. I met Hannah in Coos Bay, Oregon in 2010 while we were both going to school. We were married one year later, and one month after that we opened a bakery which we successfully ran for 3 years. We decided to sell and move in 2015, because we were both so far removed from our families. 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. We consider ourselves bakery connoisseurs and have to try a new one every place we go. 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.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BmWI3YdhvVL/?tagged=richardrussell
