Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
I don’t need much help.. I’ve played video games
Airport worker steals plane and dies after it crashes and burns
BY ALAN SELBY
AN airport worker who stole a plane and performed mid-air stunts before crashing and killing himself had threatened suicide, it was revealed last night.
Fighter jets chased the empty passenger plane after ground serviceman Richard Russell, 29, took off and did dangerous loop-the-loops and rolls during an hour-long illegal flight.
When an air traffic controller offered to get a qualified pilot on the radio to help, Richard replied: “Nah, I mean, I don’t need that much help. I’ve played some video games before,”
The married man added: “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. Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess. Never really knew it until now.”
The drama ended when the twinpropeller 76-seater plane smashed into an offshore island.
Astonishing exchanges between Richard and the controller after the Horizon Air Q400 plane took off from Seattle airport in Washington state, US, airport were revealed:
Controller: “You did that, now let’s try to land that airplane safely and not hurt anybody on the ground.”
Richard: “Awwww-right ... dammit.. I don’t know, man. I don’t know. I don’t want to. I was kinda hoping that was gonna be it. Ya know?”
Controller: “There is the runway just off to your right side in about a mile, That’s McChord (a military airfield).
Richard: “Oh man, 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. They probably have anti-aircraft.”
Controller: “They don’t have any of that stuff. We’re just trying to find a place for you to land safely.”
Richard: “I’m not quite ready to bring it down just yet. But holy smokes, I got to stop looking at the fuel, because it’s going down quick.”
Controller: “Could you start a left
turn and we’ll take you down to the SE, please,”
Rich: “This is probably jail time for life, huh? I would hope it is for a guy like me.”
Controller: “Oh, Richard, we’re not going to worry or think about that. But could you start a left turn please?”
Richard: “I feel like one of my engines is going out or something.”
Controller: “OK, Rich, if you could, you just want to keep that plane right over the water. Keep the aircraft nice and low.”
F15 fighter jet pilots following the plane then watched it crash in flames on Ketron Island, south west of Tacoma, Washington, late on Friday night, sending up a plume of smoke. Leah Morse, who filmed the plane flying overhead, said she felt in her “gut something was wrong”.
Leah’s mother, who lives near where the plane went down, said her whole house shook.
She said: “We saw the jets circle back after and Leah texted that there was no plane.”
I’m just a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess
RICHARD FRIDAY IN HORIZON AIR Q400