Security footage shows man stealing plane he later crashed into a Washington island
A curious and ultimately tragic story from 2018 finally has a little more context thanks to security camera footage.
Four years ago, a 29-year-old man named Richard Russell managed to steal an Alaskan Airlines turboprop plane from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. No one noticed the plane had disappeared until Mr Russell was in the air.
New footage released by the Port of Seattle shows Mr Russell — who worked as a baggage handler at the airport — preparing the plane for takeoff. He managed to proceed with his plan unmolested largely because no one thought twice about the baggage handler working in the airport's restricted spaces.
Mr Russell's aerial joyride ultimately ended in a fiery crash on a remote island in Puget Sound.
In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shit that says "The Sky's No Limit." He first can be seen wandering through security, and is spotted again later on the tarmac.
It's unclear exactly what Mr Russell is doing during this time, but he eventually takes control of a pushback tug and readies the Alaska Air plane for takeoff. He eventually climbs inside the cockpit and takes off.
