Airplane hijack audio10/28/2023 “Commercial aircraft are complex machines,” he said. Gary Beck, CEO of Horizon Air, told The Seattle Times it was impressive that Russell pulled off “incredible maneuvers” like a barrel roll with no flying experience. But he mentioned “video games” during his recorded conversation with air traffic control, which some have taken as a reference to flight simulator software. Russell had no formal training as a pilot and did not have his pilot’s license. Tilden said that air traffic control was immediately aware that Russell’s take off in the aircraft was an “unauthorized departure.” How did Russell manage to fly the plane?Īlaska Air Group CEO Brad Tilden said at a news conference Saturday that Russell worked for Horizon Air for four years and was on the clock and in uniform when he stole the twin-engine turboprop plane, which was parked in a cargo lot at the time. Rick Christenson, who was previously an operational supervisor with Horizon Air and who watched Russell’s flight over Puget Sound, described Russell to the Times as a “quiet guy.” “It seemed like he was well-liked by the other workers,” Christenson said. As the voice recording shows, Beebo’s intent was not to harm anyone and he was right in saying that there are so many people who loved him.” “Beebo was loved by everyone because he was kind and gentle to each person he met. “He was a faithful husband, a loving son, and a good friend,” Mike Mathews read from the statement at a press conference. Family friend Mike Matthews read a statement from Russell’s family that said the incident was “a complete shock” to them. Russell was well-liked by his co-workers, according to The Seattle Times. “A lot of the people he was helping were troubled kids.” What was Russell like at work? “He was very, very friendly - automatically willing to bring everyone in,” Hannah Holmes, who also participates in Young Life, told The Seattle Times. Russell was active in his local community, serving as a leader at Young Life, a Christian youth ministry. “We consider ourselves bakery connoisseurs and have to try a new one every place we go.” His website is filled with photos and videos of his travels and was previously linked to his Instagram account. “In this season of life we enjoy exploring as much as possible, whether it’s a day (or so) trip to one of Alaska Airlines’ destinations, or visiting a new area of Washington,” Russell wrote about himself and his wife online. Russell wrote that he was pursuing his Bachelor of Social Sciences and hoped to work his way up to a management position at Horizon Air or to join the military or law enforcement. The couple settled in Sumner, Wa., where Russell got a job at Horizon Air, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group, so he could easily fly back to Alaska to see his own family. They opened a bakery and ran it for three years before selling it in 2015 to be closer to Hannah’s family. He met his wife, Hannah, in 2010 in Coos Bay, Oregon “while we were both going to school,” and the couple wed one year later, Russell wrote on his website.
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