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The eighth anniversary of the night Richard Russell stole an empty passenger plane from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and flew it across Puget Sound until he crashed and died has just passed.
Every year on August 10, the same clips resurface online.
The radio transmissions, the footage of a Bombardier Q400 doing a barrel roll over the water with two F-15 fighter jets trailing behind it.
The voice of a 28-year-old ground service agent who had never flown a plane in his life, talking calmly to air traffic control while he worked out how to end his own.
Russell has been known online as 'Sky King' ever since.
Rolling Stone called him a folk hero, and Hulu made a documentary about the incident - #SkyKing, which premiered in April this year.
The story is as strange and sad now as it was in 2018.
On the evening of August 10, 2018, Russell, a ground service agent for Horizon Air who worked on the tow team repositioning aircraft on the tarmac, drove a Bombardier Q400 turboprop to runway 16C at Sea-Tac and took off.
He had no pilot's licence and the plane had no passengers as it was not scheduled to fly again that day.
An Alaska Airlines jet on the ground reported seeing the aircraft begin its takeoff roll with its wheels smoking.
He was airborne by 7:32pm local time.
Two F-15 fighters were scrambled from Portland, armed with air-to-air missiles, and reached supersonic speeds on the way to intercept him.
They generated sonic booms across the region - a refuelling tanker was also launched from Fairchild Air Force Base and all flights in and out of Sea-Tac were suspended.
Russell flew for about 75 minutes, but he definitely made use of that time.
He performed loops and manoeuvres over the water.
At one point, he executed a barrel roll, recovering approximately 10 feet above the surface.
A veteran pilot later said the manoeuvre 'seemed pretty well executed, without either stalling or pulling the wings off'.
At 8:43pm, he crashed the aircraft into the sparsely populated Ketron Island in Puget Sound.
He was the only person on board. Nobody else was hurt.
You can see the whole story in the video below.
The radio transmissions were recorded and posted online almost immediately.
They are the reason the story has endured the way it has.
Russell was calm throughout.
Polite and - at times - almost funny.
He told the controller he was 'just a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess. Never really knew it until now.'
When ATC suggested he land the plane at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, he turned it down.
"Those guys will rough me up if I try and land there," he said.
"I think I might mess something up there, too. I wouldn't want to do that."
He asked ATC if Alaska Airlines would give him a job as a pilot if he managed to land the aircraft safely.
The controller said they would probably give him a job doing anything if he pulled it off.
"Yeah right! Nah, I'm a white guy," Russell replied.
He asked for the coordinates of an orca that had been in the news that week, telling the controller that he wanted to go see it.
Then, he told ATC he had learned to fly from video games and reiterated that he did not want to hurt anyone.
After the barrel roll, ATC asked him to try to land. His response is the line people remember most.
"I don't know. I don't want to. I was kind of hoping that was gonna be it, you know?"
He added that he 'wasn't really planning on landing it.'
In his final minutes, he apologised to his friends and family.
Richard Russell was born in Key West, Florida before he moved to Wasilla, Alaska, aged seven.
Everyone called him Beebo.
He was a fullback on the high school football team and scored six touchdowns in his senior year.
Russell went to college in North Dakota, then transferred to a community college in Oregon, where he met his wife at a Campus Crusade for Christ meeting.
They married in 2012 and opened a bakery together in North Bend, Oregon.
In 2015 they sold that business so his wife could be closer to her family before moving to Sumner, Washington.
Russell got a job with Horizon Air and had been on the tow team for about four years by the time the incident happened.
Co-workers described him as quiet and well liked, active in his church and a leader in the local Young Life Christian youth ministry.
He was studying social science through Washington State University's online campus and had planned to either move into management at Horizon Air or become a military officer.
During his conversation with ATC, he made one comment about his job.
"Minimum wage, we'll chalk it up to that. Maybe that will grease some gears a little bit with the higher-ups."
The FBI investigated for three months and found no evidence of terrorism, criminal activity, or a clear motive.
They interviewed colleagues, friends and family, reviewed his text messages.
They found nothing that explained why he did what he did.
His family released a statement the next day.
It simply said: "We are stunned and heartbroken."
Because the transmissions are unbearable.
A man who sounds kind, self-aware, occasionally funny, and completely resigned to the fact that he is about to die.
He doesn't sound angry, he doesn't sound like someone making a political statement.
He sounds like someone who got into a plane because he didn't know what else to do, and then had the strangest, saddest 75 minutes of his life talking to a stranger on the radio while F-15s flew behind him.
The internet latched on to him almost immediately.
'Sky King' became a meme, then a tribute, then something closer to mythology.
T-shirts were made. Songs were written. Rolling Stone published a long-form profile in 2021 calling him 'The Sky Thief'.
In April this year, the documentary #SkyKing premiered at SXSW and was picked up by Hulu. It was made in dedication to Russell.
In April 2022, the FBI released over 500 pages of documents from its investigation.
They confirmed what had already been widely understood. Russell acted alone. He intended to die. Nobody saw it coming.
He was 28 years old. He had no pilot's licence. He performed a barrel roll 10 feet above the water in a plane he had stolen an hour earlier, and the last thing he said to the person trying to help him was that he was kind of hoping the barrel roll would be it.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by calling or texting 988. In the UK, you can contact the Samaritans on 116 123.
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A 29-year-old airline employee who stole a commercial aircraft from a Seattle airport has crashed after being chased by fighter jets. The man, who took off from the runway without authorisation, was said to be doing "stunts" in the air before crashing about an hour after he took off.
The Horizon Air Q400 plane, a turboprop plane that can hold up to 78 passengers, did not appear to have anyone else on board other than the man who hijacked it. The incident was "not a terrorist incident" according to the local sheriff's office, and the man was a local to the area.
The 29-year-old made "an unauthorised take-off" late on Friday local time according to authorities, the incident forcing Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to close down while they dealt with the rogue pilot. Two fighter jets were sent after the man, who was interacting via an audio communications system. The two F15 fighter jets were not involved in the eventual crash of the stolen plane, which came down in Puget Sound.
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"The plane, which was taken from a maintenance position and was not scheduled for passenger flight, crashed about an hour later in a wooded area on Ketron Island in rural Pierce County," Alaska Air said in a statement. "No ground structures were involved at the crash site."
"Military jets were scrambled from Portland, but it does not appear that these jets were involved in the crash of the Horizon aircraft."
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Eye-witnesses were left stunned as they saw the aircraft attempt "stunts" in the sky, with onlookers from the airport and surrounds seeing and recording the aircraft. In communication with air traffic control, the man was being advised on how to safely land the plane, though he told them he could land it by himself because he had played "some video games".
It is unclear why the man stole the plane, with Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor telling reporters it appeared to be "a joyride gone terribly wrong". The audio recording of the man's conversations with air traffic control reveals that he was talking about attempting a barrel roll before "calling it a day".
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John Waldron, who saw the plane in the air, told CNN that he saw it do "a complete loop" before it went "pretty much straight up" and "almost stalled the aircraft".
"Somehow he got it levelled back off," he recalled. "And then made his way down toward the island."
The rogue pilot, who identified himself as "Rich", said at one point: "'I'm just a broken guy. I've got a few screws loose I guess, I never really knew it until now." Authorities later announced that they had identified the individual and confirmed that he was suicidal.
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“We are still gathering facts, but at this point we understand there was only one person aboard, an employee of Horizon Air, who was operating the aircraft," Brad Tilden, CEO of the Alaska Air Group said. "I want to share how incredibly sad all of us at Alaska are about this incident. Our heart is heavy for the family and friends of the person involved."
Operations at Sea-Tac Airport resumed a few hours after the incident, and the FBI has taken over to investigate further.
A witness recounted the sounds he heard as a helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, killing a family of five and their pilot.
On April 10, the Bell 206 aircraft, operated by New York Helicopters, went down at 3:17PM, just minutes after takeoff from Downtown Manhattan.
All six victims were recovered from the wreckage. Four were pronounced dead at the scene, while two others died after being transported to local hospitals. The aircraft had been on its sixth flight of the day.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams later confirmed the identities of the deceased: Agustín Escobar, a Siemens executive from Barcelona; his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal; and their three children, aged 11, five, and four.
The pilot was also killed and has been identified as 36-year-old Navy SEAL veteran Sean Johnson.
Witnesses described a terrifying scene as the helicopter spiraled out of the sky and crashed into the river with a thunderous splash.
“It sounded like a sonic boom so I look up and literally I saw helicopter splitting in 2, with the rotor flying off in the sky it was going so fast and it just went straight into the water,” an eyewitness named Max told ABC7.
“Nothing came up afterwards; it must have just sunk, and that was it, and then I just waited here, and like five minutes later, we started seeing the police and stuff come. I've never seen anything like that in my life.
He continued: “For me, I just thought it was going to be like city noise, like a crash or like maybe like a jet going overhead - I know that's probably not common."
Other witnesses reported seeing pieces fall from the sky. Dani Horbiak told ABC News: “I heard five or six loud noises that sounded almost like gunshots in the sky and saw pieces fall off, then watched it fall into the river.”
And Avi Rakesh told NBC News, “I don’t know what happened to the tail, but it just straight up dropped. It dropped feet away from Holland Tunnel, and I can’t imagine if it hit it.”
A haunting video shared online shows the helicopter spiraling through the air, missing its rotors, before crashing upside down into the Hudson River.
According to Michael Roth, the 71-year-old owner of New York Helicopter, the pilot had radioed that he was heading back to the helipad for fuel.
“He called in that he was landing and that he needed fuel, and it should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn’t arrive,” Roth told The Telegraph.
He added that another pilot with the company later flew over the river and spotted the helicopter upside down in the water.
At the time of the tragic incident, President Donald Trump posted about it on Truth Social: “Terrible helicopter crash in the Hudson River. Looks like six people- the pilot, two adults, and three children- are no longer with us. The footage of the accident is horrendous."
"God bless the families and friends of the victims. Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, and his talented staff are on it. Announcements as to exactly what took place and how will be made shortly!” he added.
The crash has triggered investigations by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
Following the tragedy that saw 67 people lose their lives in a horrific plane crash, the father of a passenger onboard has paid tribute to his son.
American Airlines flight 5342 was heading into land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on January 29 when it tragically struck a military Black Hawk helicopter.
An immediate rescue operation was launched, but sadly this changed to a recovery mission after authorities declared that the 64 people on the plane, and three on the helicopter were likely to be dead.
Among those onboard was Spencer Lane, a rising star from the Skating Club of Boston believed to be 16 years old.
“Spencer, in the best way possible, was a crazy kid,” said the club’s CEO, Doug Zeghibe.
“Highly talented, has not been skating that long, and has been rocketing to the top of the sport. Very fun, very cerebral.”
His mother, Christine Lane, was also on the flight, per the New York Post.
Lane, who was traveling alongside several members of the figure skating community - including former world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov - posted a final message on social media before his flight.
Around 7:00PM that evening, he shared a photo on Instagram with the caption "ICT -> DCA," referencing Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
With the crash marking the first major commercial airline disaster in the U.S. since 2009, Lane’s father, Douglas Lane, has spoken out about his son’s loss.
"Whether he was in his home club in Boston, [Spencer] was just loved by everyone," Douglas told WPRI. "From adults running the club to smaller skaters, to the people that are competing for a shot at the Olympics, they all adored him."
In a statement, he described his son as "a force of nature."
"You simply could not stop him if he decided he wanted to do something," Douglas wrote.
"There is no better example of this than his remarkable skating journey, which we are heartbroken to see end too soon. He truly loved it, and his ascent from basic Learn to Skate classes to U.S. Figure Skating’s National Development Team in just a few short years was unprecedented."
Douglas also expressed gratitude for the support of the skating community. "We are so grateful that his last week was filled with joy and surrounded by his beloved Skating Club of Boston and the U.S. Figure Skating family."
Remembering his wife, Christie, Douglas described her as someone who "exuded creativity throughout her life."
"She brought even greater passion to her role as a mother to Spencer and his brother Milo," he said. "She was also a lover of animals, and we lost track of how many dogs she helped place in loving adoptive homes."
Our thoughts continue to be with those impacted by this tragedy.
A pilot shared a video of himself enjoying a ride over Queensland just days before a plane crash claimed the lives of himself and his pregnant wife.
Rhiley Kuhrt and his pregnant wife Maree were set to fly from cattle station Natal Downs in North Queensland to Lakeside Airpark at Bloomsbury but the alarm was raised when they didn't arrive, The Guardian reports.
Flying in Rhiley's white and green Piper Cherokee, the pair were due to arrive at 5:00 PM on Sunday but air traffic control reported them overdue at 6:30 PM local time, per News.com.au.
The search was concluded at around 10:15 AM local time on Monday after a QG Rescue helicopter located the crash site in the Clarke Range mountain range.
Just days before the crash occurred, Rhiley shared a heartbreaking video of himself in the cockpit of his aircraft laughing with his dogs who had joined him for the journey.
On March 30, the video was shared on his Facebook page with the caption: "Wick afternoon run over the sorghum harvest and a bit of fun."
Tragically, just hours before the plane crash claimed her life, Maree shared an image on her Instagram profile holding her baby bump with the caption: "27 weeks now! Getting closer and closer to meeting baby girl."
As per the Daily Mail, the pair had celebrated a gender reveal party in February and were looking forward to welcoming their daughter as friends and family celebrated with confetti.
Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Ricus Lombard said that search teams had to combat poor weather conditions during their search which involved aircraft searching locations around the airfield.
A spokesperson for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said: "A crash site was located in the Clarke Ranges west of Proserpine by QG Air Rescue helicopter based in Townsville.
"An aircraft located at the crash site is confirmed to be the light aircraft that was reported missing after leaving Natal Downs Station in Queensland yesterday afternoon. Queensland Police are co-ordinating with next of kin."
Sadly, police confirmed that the bodies of the couple were found with the aircraft.
Friends and family of the couple have taken to social media to pay their respects, as one person wrote: " Life can be so cruel, hug your loved ones even tighter tonight. Maree im sure Yia-Yia will be waiting with a fresh batch of Baklava for the three of you.
"It was a pleasure watching you grow from the young little girl riding around on your scooter into beautiful woman & mother to be that you are. My thoughts are with the Notaras & Kuhrt family. Rest Easy Cowgirl."
A second added: "12 weeks away from the arrival of their bub…. Hopes, dreams and young lives gone in an instant. Sincerest condolences to the families and loved ones of Maree Kuhrt and Rhiley Kuhrt. Such a tragedy."
Our thoughts are with the loved ones of Rhiley and Maree.
A pilot who had faced 83 counts of attempted murder has spoken out publicly for the first time after he was arrested for attempting to crash a plane.
On October 22, 2023, pilot Joseph David Emerson - who was off-duty at the time - took off on Alaska Airlines Flight 2059 as a passenger. The flight was operated by Horizon Air and was traveling from Paine Field in Everett, Washington to San Francisco International Airport.
Also on board were 79 passengers and four members of crew.
As reported by PEOPLE, Emerson had been traveling in the cockpit's jump seat when he suffered a severe mental breakdown.
According to police documents, he threw his headset across the cockpit and stated that he was "not okay". He then attempted to pull the fire extinguisher handles, which would have shut down the plane's engines.
Crew members were able to restrain Emerson before any damage or serious harm was caused.
After announcing an in-flight emergency, the plane was diverted to Portland.
Emerson was restrained for the duration of the flight, and was later arrested and charged with 83 counts of attempted murder. These charges were later dropped, but he is still facing a number of federal and state charges, including 83 counts of reckless endangerment.
It was also reported at the time that Emerson had admitted to taking psychedelic mushrooms two days before the flight with some friends. He says it was the first time he had done so and that he was struggling after the loss of his best friend several years prior.
In December, a judge ruled that Emerson could be released on bail after he pleaded not guilty - under the ruling that he could not come within 30 feet of an aircraft.
Fortunately, the flight crew acted quickly and managed to subdue Emerson before he could cause serious harm. They declared an inflight emergency and diverted the flight to Portland. Emerson was moved to the back of the plane, preventing any further attempts to sabotage the aircraft.
Now, in an interview with ABC News, he has spoken out.
Recalling how he felt in the cockpit, Emerson said: "There was a feeling of being trapped, like, 'Am I trapped in this airplane and now I'll never go home?'"
He says that all he wanted to do was return home to his family, but he started to become convinced that he never could be.
After receiving a text message from a friend telling him to do some breathing exercises in order to calm down, Emerson said: "That's kind of where I flung off my headset, and I was fully convinced this isn't real and I'm not going home."
He then claimed that the other pilots didn't react to his "completely abnormal behavior" in a way that he believed was "consistent with reality".
"That is when I was like, this isn't real. I need to wake up," he said.
Recalling his life-threatening actions, he said: "There are two red handles in front of my face. And thinking that I was going to wake up, thinking this is my way to get out of this non-real reality, I reached up and I grabbed them, and I pulled the levers."
He said he knew what the levers would have done "in a real airplane", but was just trying to "wake up".
Emerson adds that the physical touch of the crew grabbing his hands is what snapped him out of his "dream-like" state.
"It's 30 seconds of my life that I wish I could change, and I can't," Emerson added.
During his 45 days in jail, Emerson says he was diagnosed with hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD). This is when an individual uses psychedelic mushrooms for the first time but continues to suffer from visual hallucinations or perception issues.
It can last for several days.
Emerson's defense has argued that there was no criminal intent in his actions, stating in a statement to ABC: "Simply put: Captain Emerson thought he was in a dream; his actions were taken in a single-minded effort to wake up from that dream and return home to his family."
He and his wife, Sarah Emerson, have since launched a nonprofit called Clear Skies Ahead, which is aimed that raising funds and awareness of pilot mental health.
Due to FAA regulations and the strict requirements pilots must follow in order to be allowed to fly, Joseph Emerson believes that many pilots stay quiet and fail to speak out about their own mental health issues.
He said: "Right now, if you raise your hand, not in every case, but there's a perception out there that if you raise your hand and say something's not right, there's a very real possibility that you don't fly again."
His story is also the subject of the August 2024 documentary Lie to Fly.
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