Horizon air worker who flew, accident plane had no terror link

The Horizon Air employee who stole a plane from the Seattle airport and took him for a flight accidentally crashed to commit suicide, the FBI said in a report concluding that he had no apparent link with terrorism.

The ground services officer, Richard Russell, 28, acted alone and no charges are expected in the August incident, the agency said in a statement. a statement released Friday. The investigators found no explanation as to why Russell, who was not a licensed pilot, wanted to steal the empty plane and kill himself.

"Interviews with co-workers, friends and family – and the review of SMS exchanged with Russell during the incident – did not reveal any information suggesting that theft of the The plane was linked to a broader criminal activity or terrorist ideology, "the FBI said. . "Although the investigators received information about Russell's background, possible stressors, and personal life, there was no clear motivation for Russell's actions."

Similarly, a Transportation Safety Administration investigation revealed no security breach by Horizon or the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the agency said in a statement also released on Friday. Horizon is owned by Alaska Air Group Inc.

The TSA found that the airline and the airport "met all the security requirements," he said.

The aviation security agency said it was looking for ways to "enhance security in all aspects of the airport environment".

"This incident was a very difficult time for us and for many others," said Gary Beck, President and CEO of Horizon Air, in a statement. "We remain grateful to all those who have supported our employees, the family of the deceased employee and the affected communities."

The US National Transportation Safety Board analyzed the flight data and examined a cockpit recording from the two black crash-proof boxes of the aircraft, the FBI announced.

Russell spoke a lot on the radio with the air traffic controllers after taking off without authorization. He was "just a broken guy," he said at one point, while a controller was trying to convince him to try to land. "I have a lot of people who care about me and it's going to disappoint them to hear that I've done that."

Piloting skills

The port of Seattle, which operates the airport, is also conducting a review of the incident in conjunction with TSA and an industry working group to determine if further action is needed. It examines new technologies, safety measures and the "well-being and health of employees," the statement said.

The plane, a Q400 turboprop engine from Bombardier Inc., was slipping partially to the side during its last dive, the FBI said, indicating that Russell lacked sophisticated flying skills.

Nevertheless, "the plane seems to have remained in control and the final descent to the ground seems to have been intentional," the FBI said. "If the pilot had wanted to avoid any impact with the ground, he had the time and energy to pull the column back, lift his nose and start a climb."

Russell had legitimate credentials as a Horizon employee to gain access to the aircraft, according to the TSA and the FBI. As part of his usual duties, he knew how to light a small turbomachine aboard the plane used to provide electrical power and start the main engines. He also managed to maneuver the plane on the ground, according to the FBI.

Educational videos

Although there is no evidence that Russell received formal flight training, he searched the Internet for flight instruction videos, the FBI said.

Russell arrived at work on August 10 at 14:36. He entered the aircraft at 19:19. and started starting the engines in minutes. He briefly left the plane and used a towing vehicle to rotate the nose of the plane towards the traffic lanes leading to the tracks. At 19:32, the plane began to move, said the FBI.

The aircraft flew for 1 hour and 13 minutes before crashing on the sparsely populated Ketron Island in Puget Sound, about 40 km from the airport.