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The FBI found that an airline employee who had stolen an empty passenger plane at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in early August and performed dangerous maneuvers in the air before striking a nearby island and to be killed acted alone and accidentally.
The man was later identified as Richard Russell, a 28-year-old ground service employee of Horizon Air and a resident of Pierce County in Washington State.
The FBI will not pursue federal charges.
As part of the investigation, the FBI reviewed information from the National Transportation Safety Board's review of the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. Interviews with co-workers, friends and family members, as well as a review of the SMS messages exchanged with Russell during the incident, did not reveal any information suggesting that the flight was related to a broader criminal activity or a terrorist act.
Elaine Thompson / AP, FILE
The information obtained from the flight data recorder indicates that Russell had retained control of the aircraft and that the final descent to the ground appeared to have been intentional ", had the pilot wanted to avoid any impact with the ground, he had the time and energy to pull the column back, lift the nose and initiate a climb "according to an FBI statement", instead, the column remained in a position before the dead point and advanced forward about six seconds before the end of the FDR data. "
The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office identified the human remains found in the aircraft materials from the accident site on Ketron Island as belonging to Russell, and cites the cause of death as injuries multiple traumatic events due to a plane crash and suicide.
The Transportation Security Administration stated that it assumed responsibility for enforcing regulations and security requirements to "very seriously" protect the country's transportation systems. She therefore conducted a civil investigation on the Horizon Air incident at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in conjunction with the FBI's criminal investigation.
The TSA investigation concluded that Horizon Air and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport met all safety requirements. However, to enhance safety, TSA is working with industry partners and the Aviation Safety Advisory Committee to explore ways to collectively enhance safety. all aspects of the airport environment. "
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