CCTV footage from Seattle airport that has been released by international media shows the moment a member of staff responsible for transporting passengers’ luggage hijacks a plane.
29-year-old Richard Russell can be seen walking through security at Seattle airport wearing a black T-shirt with “The Sky’s No Limit” printed on the back.
Meanwhile, in the images of CCTV from inside the terminal and out onto the runway, he is seen quickly boarding the plane and taking off.
The shocking incident took place in August 2018, while the shocking details and images were published only today.
Then, more than five hours after going through airport security, Russell is seen running outside in the cargo area. He uses a tug to push the Alaska Airlines propeller plane onto a taxiway as the 29-year-old’s oblivious colleagues can be seen walking by.
Air traffic control tried to make contact with the aircraft after sensing something was wrong, but they got no response as Russell opened the cockpit door to the Q400 Turboprop, climbing in and giving it throttle.
He then politely addresses the control tower, saying, “Seattle skyline guy. Ready to rise. It’s going to be crazy. Hey, I found myself in a predicament. I’m in the air now. And I’ll just fly around.”
Air traffic controllers can be heard pleading with Russell to make a safe landing, but the airport employee continues to joke with them.
“Hey, do you think if I successfully land this plane, you’ll give me a job as a pilot?” he says.
At this point, the controllers try to direct Russell to a nearby runway where he can safely land the plane.
“There’s runway on your right for about a mile, see?” the traffic controller is heard saying.
But Russell replied: “Oh those guys are going to try to rape me if I try to go down there… I think I might mess something up. I wouldn’t want to do that.”
Meanwhile, two F-15 fighter jets left Portland just minutes after the plane took off. They failed to catch the plane before Russell deliberately crashed it on a remote island 30 miles away, killing himself, about 90 minutes after takeoff.
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