Pat Bubba I see most of the comments are saddened by the fact he came this far out. And that he needed help. All news outlets calling him a hijacker. He stole a plane and was clearly mentally unstable. But overall he really sounded like a nice guy.
These edits are actually a bit irritating, how are we supposed to get an accurate picture when you have two edits jumping around random selections of dialog? It would be very beneficial if you deleted both of these vids and put the conversation in strict chronological order.
The part that got me the most is at 4:53 when his tone changes and he says "...you know, the sights went by so fast dude. I was thinking like I'm gonna have this moment of serenity, you know, be able to take in all the sights but there is a lot of pretty stuff but I think they're prettier in a different context" To me, it feels like this is the point where he started to regret what he was doing and that he realised this wasn't going to be a suicide where he's going to see all the sights and feel joy/be at peace but instead he starts to regret it and maybe even realised that things in life can be fixed but now that he's taken this plane, things can no longer be fixed so easily. I know everyone keeps saying what he did was reckless and while I agree, I think we need to show some empathy. Mental health issues are such a major problem in this world and sometimes all it takes is one little thing to go wrong in your day for it to finally push you over the edge. I understand a lot of Richards "Beebo" pain, I've been there, I've made that decision to end it but once I did, I immediately regretted it. RIP Beebo, hope you finally found your peace and I hope that someday your family and friends can find that same peace.
Joshua John The problem is rgat si many mental healtg issues in the YS are caused by doctors carelessly pushing anti depressants onto people that cause suicidal thoughts mixed with hyperactive feelings. It drives normal people into crazy thoughts.
ArmchairWarrior Seriously? You’re going to warp a conversation that has nothing to do with guns into a commentary on gun control? But, since you mentioned it and I’d hate for misinformation to stand alone unchallenged...Your claim about the statistic is absolute nonsense. You can’t quote something that was probably averaged out and present it as if mass shootings are literally happening every day. Also, claims that other countries are doing things better is a really broad sweeping statement. There’s been just as much evidence showing bans have had little to no impact and countries like the UK continue to suffer from attacks using other types of deadly weapons like cars and trucks. Then you have London’s mayor who wants to ban knives. But, none of that is really the point because you present a frenetic, emotional and reactionary case (I use that term lightly as your comment wasn’t really trying to make an argument) and your UA-cam name becomes very fitting. Like most politicians and a large majority of the population, you argue to ban something you don’t understand, which is a major complaint from those who are pro second amendment and pro reasonable gun control. Why is it a complaint? Because many of the things that pro gun control activists are demanding are already in place in some or all states. There are plenty of states that require a background check (including a mental health screening), fingerprinting, interview, and a class (e.g. Massachusetts firearm laws). For the record, I think all of those things are worthwhile steps, but the subject is far too complex to continue it here, especially since that’s not what this video is about.
Honey Weed been lookin for that video too when I wrote it. Maybe it got deleted or I just can’t find it again. It was a TV news report and the Manager said this stunt with this plane is pretty respectable or somethin like that I‘ll search it again
R T he actually does. That was the problem. Considering the guy was able to perform basic aerobatics without instantly killing himself, regardless how close to that he really was, he was capable of landing more or less safely with the assistance from the ground, telling him landing speeds and whatnot. He just was not going to. His plan was to do something crazy and die. To have something “impressive” before his suicide. The pilot tried to convince the guy landing is much greater achievement than that and it could have worked if you ask me. So sad there was not enough fuel at that point.
@@EriIaz RT has a point. Calling it "Wanting to do somethingthing impressive" is an insult. We would never know his true intentions. For all we know, he could have just wanted to do what he wants to do before he dies. He's suicidal and had no intentions of landing the plane from the start. He could've gone through many things that a normal human can't take, thus making him suicidal
Something must've made him real depressed that day, and he just went for it without thinking. RIP Skyking. (also, hopefully we dont have any copycats in the future, Rich deserves to be the only one)
Jack Shaheen stop trolling about politics. The comments section was fine until you felt entitled to bring your President out of nowhere just to bitch around "muh feeling". This is not a video for political discussion Troll. Fuck off.
I feel so terrible for the controller and the pilot(s) who tried to help him. Totally helpless to do anything but talk to him and watch him dig a hole in the ground.
I think you first have to talk to the person, empathize with him/her, make yourself his/her friend, keep him/her flying safely in a place he/she won't hurt anyone else, and then try to convince that person to do what you want him/her to do. It wouldn't be better to say "you have two F15s behind you ready to fire. You better land now on McChord or they'll do their thing".
He was clearly suicidal. Id agree, any type of "termination" of the flight seemed to be a good thing in his eyes. As soon as he said "I was kinda hoping that was gonna be it" its clear to me that he was trying to do something stupid enough to end his life. I have to say they controllers and pilot on freq did a good job. Although as soon as you start to realize this guy is suicidal you really need to get a professional on the freq that deals with talking people down. I'm not sure what kind of response time for someone like that is but never the less its a good idea I think.
Earl Greystoke: They may not be "responsible" for the actions of Rich or the inevitable outcome. However, They knew they where the only people that would be able to talk Rich down and get him to land the aircraft. I feel bad because they might go to sleep at night thinking to them self "Man, what could I have done differently?" Its almost a form of PTSD.
He completely screwed up the roll, and turned it into a split-s. It’s a common mistake when a pilot doesn’t float the aircraft enough through the roll.
As you roll left you need to add right rudder, as you get upside down ease off the right rudder and add down elevator, as you roll onto your right ease off the down elevator and into some left rudder and then ease off the rudder as you return upright. Use the control surfaces to continue attempting a nose-up attitude at every angle throughout the roll.
Let's keep in mind a few things: 1. Mental health problems are real. 2. There have been cases of commercial pilots killing the co pilot and crashing the plane. 3. Aircraft need to be moved around frequently by maintenance so given he was a ramp worker no amount of security would have helped. Even if there were someone assigned to guard access door keys could be the one with the mental health crisis. Ramps are busy places and key control isn't something that will work. 4. This sort of thing is RARE. throwing MORE money at "airport security" is overkill. Only if this were common would that make sense. Throwing money at a non-problem is foolish.
LOl what? Who's saying mental health problems are fake? Also things should be put in place to ensure a ground agent bum can't just hop in a plane. What's stopping a terrorist from getting an airport job and stealing a plane?
Ivan Guderian security checks when you apply for the job, they don’t do a mental health analysis for a mechanic but they would background check him I assume when applying for a job so he could just breeze through security.
As someone who's also played some video games but never actually flown a plane I occasionally think "I could fly an airplane" and then remember how often I crash in those video games.
Not even a good flight simulator is enough to fly a thing like the Dash-8. Not even a light single engine aircraft I guess. My jump from the simulator to a real aircraft was huge!
Meh. My first flight at the controls of a cessna 152 was terrifying. After a coupla thousand hours on fltsim, I believe I could land it pretty boringly.
I wonder how he got that thing running and up there in the first place, yet I think him doing the barrel role and stuff involved a huge portion of luck. Would have been interesting if he could have landed it if he wanted to Nevertheless R.I.P. Rich, he sounded like a generally nice guy with serious mental issues, who got no help. At least he did not harm anybody else like that idiot on the Germanwings flight who took so many innocent lives
ApfelNicknack I don't remember the germanwings crash but it depends on what they want. The German wings guy may have wanted it to look accidental to avoid problems with insurance. A suicide voids any insurance the guy might have had. Rich prettyclearly didn't plan on landing but crashing.
There's something to be said for going out like a meteor. And doing something amazing as your last act. I loved that he was so concerned about not endangering anyone or anything with his antics, seemed like a fun. likeable guy. I don't condone stealing a $32 mil aircraft, but man, what an exit...
@@ltr4300 yeah I would never end my own life, but if I did this seems much cooler than just taking the gun. I understand that he endangered others, but he did the roll over a lake, so at least he tried. I don't really think he gave a fuck about what other people think, he just wanted to do a mad roll at the end, I can't really blame him for that.
@@ltr4300 I actually thought by the tone of his voice and a number of references to the Olympics that he might have become homicidal instead of suicidal. I think the controller handled it the only possible way cause if he guilted him or pissed him off he may have intentionally crashed the aircraft into innocents.I don't believe this happened without a mental health history which he sort of denied. Then again, the vast majority of people with histories are not violent and even if suicidal don't do what he did. It was actually a very selfish act, he should've sought help or end his life without endangering others.
@@brentfoto You know the Olympics are the name of the mountain range there, right? Just trying to make sure, or else I could see that sounding much different...
RefrigeratedCat That was a sad day for all involved. Rich, Approach Controller, F15 pilots, emergency services, Rich's family and colleagues. ATC and USAF both knew he didn't intend to land. Their goal though, was to try to persuade him to land in the hopes that he'd change his mind.
He was just victimizing himself, probably did that a lot. Couldn't confront whatever the real problem was, so he decides to opt out, while the rest of his family and friends have to live with the fallout. I feel for everyone except Richard.
Cale, it was his right to leave, and I don't understand why you feel you have the right to judge him (or anyone else) makes that decision. Maybe you like your life, good for you. Not everyone does. And what fallout are you referring to? The media coverage and the grief? K. That's just life. People die. Sometimes sooner than expected. Sometimes there's nothing you can do.
bobwinslow That's life? This is anything but ordinary circumstances. He was unwilling or unable to confront whatever his real problem was, and instead of facing that day to day struggle, he chose the easy way out, leaving his family to forever question why. Seems selfish to me, again sympathy for everyone but Richard.
bobwinslow. He stole an expensive airplane and destroyed it. That represents the hard work and investment of a lot of people. Stealing and destroying other peoples things is flat out wrong. That you don't understand this fact, simply shows how immature and simple minded you are. Plus he endangered a lot of commercial aircraft in that airspace, especially during his takeoff. This easily could have killed hundreds of others aboard another aircraft.
Iggy Noring-u totally could have hit a neighborhood. However it seems he tried to avoid people. It’s like he tried to keep others safe. That’s worth something. During his short flight he showed compassion and worry for others. Even tried to not disturb peoples days. I’m not saying what he did was right, I don’t think he thought so either. But he also wasn’t some super bad guy.
evan aguayo I'm going to disagree somewhat. Suicide is never a viable option unless warranted for the sacrifice of self for others. Then it points to a sound mind. I don't know what options Rich had for health care, but it seems that he fell through the cracks.
z00h Health care is a two way road. He may not have taken all of the possible options or was just not aware of them. On the other side, most of a physician's work is observational.
Pat Bubba He probably always acted like everything's fine with him but he had some real mental issues. It's really hard to talk to people about that in that case.
no, they're gonna blame our lack of funding in mental health and low pay. They guy said he did it cause wages were too low (horizon only pays 12/hr while minimum wage in Seattle is 15. Ground crew make less than the fast food workers at their airport)
nope, he endangered everybody and their grandma at the airport and airspace by stealing the place and flying around. if you do not want to ruin everybody's day: work on your life and ground your butt.
It was just a desperate attempt to convince him about landing... not meant to be a compliment, obviously. Sure, nice thing, but i am sure he could've landed if he wanted, he didn't even try.
ATCs last ditch effort to convince him to land, problem was, this guy never wanted to be a hero, he wanted to escape his shitty life and end it with joy and thats what he did...
The controller did excellent in this situation by not aggravating Richard about his decisions to do it. He knew it was not a terrorist attack, just a guy who hit rock bottom.
Man, listening to him just makes this whole situation even more heartbreaking. He wasn’t trying to hurt anyone... he’d just reached the end. Yeah, obviously, this was not the right thing for him to do. Dangerous. But I dunno, I can just hear the resignation in his voice and I’m just sad for him. I wish there was something someone could’ve done for him. :(
This really might be one of the most interesting avaition incedents in the past few decades, it makes us think how good really is airport security and the security involved in people that actually work for the airport, not just that but also makes us wonder about the guys life, what he must have been going through and what kinds of mental problems he must been suffering from. My prayers to his family and friends and the pilots and atc that tried to help him and the general public
Zeki Sert airport security is a paper exercise. Trust me they are more worried about you bringing soup through security then your mental health, but then they will have a ramp agent who's waiting on security clearance (which is a five year work and address history and a criminal records check) working on the ramp on a white pass. Airlines pay minimum premiums for ground turns which forces the ground handling companies to pay low wages and run the operation with not enough staff because people leave it's just not worth the money for the work involved. Also guys are just too busy to be watching everyone all the time. It's not just mental health here the whole industry needs a boot up the arse because this race to the bottom under cutting everyone for a shit contract that pays measly amounts and rewards a 1% profit margin is dangerous and leaves a lot a holes in the process that is supposed to protect us.
It's common sense the people you find who are willing to work for $11 an hour which is what they get look it up on glassdoor.com not going to get the highest caliber of people.Background checks can't weed out unstable people, and they aren't going to pay for psychological testing for every time they higher a guy for $11 an hour. The only way minimze this from happening again is to secure the cockpit doors while they are on the ground maybe if ground personal need to get in there 2 people are required at all times when the door is unlocked.
Alex Monamoch He was s highjacker named Richard Russell who stole and destroyed a good airplane, violated air space rules costing many others a lot of money, scramble two F -15s to shoot his stupid a ass down and they would have. I wish they had sit him down. That would have made a good entertaining and instructional video.
Step 1 in any negotiation involving life - you use whatever name they want you to use. Nothing special happened here. They were just keeping him calm and open to suggestions.
TXnine7nine People with mental illness who want to commit suicide only very, _very_ rarely want to bring someone else with them. (Unless we count suicide bombers, which I suppose we could, after a fashion.) The vast, vast majority just want to end themselves. The way they do it is what varies. Many will even go to great lengths to leave as little clean-up as possible for others; they are not without empathy for others. Perhaps even have an abundance of it, just none left for themselves. You’ll see things like laying tarp to make cleaning up blood splatter easier, or taking pills, doing it in a bathtub so any blood can be drained, etc. The best way I can describe it is horrific in its human decency for everyone but themselves.
yes that should be the most important part of this, whether going out like this, doing what you never could do, enjoying your last day, is better or not...
He sounds like a kind soul & I think this quote is very fitting - “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and die with their song still inside them."
Not only does my heart go out to Rich's family and friends but also to the ATC staff and the air Force Pilots from the 142nd Fighter Squadron this is something you cannot train for and for certain this will be discussed at length for quite some time to come do not be surprised if there are some policy changes made because of this both the FAA and the Air Force did everything they could to try to get him to land safely
Rich said part of his reasoning was the low wages. Maybe improving pay for ground crew will also be discussed (its a hard, dangerous job. Ground crewmen deserve more than someone working at McDonalds). Minimum wage in Seattle is 15/hr, yet somehow Horizon is able to pay their workers 12/hr.
I find this kind of heart-breaking. This guy Rich was clearly disturbed...but he didn't seem like a a bad guy; just, as he says, "a broken guy". What he did was incredibly reckless and could've killed/hurt many people, but in my opinion, and judging from his own statements (and, in the end, his actions) he did not want to hurt anyone. There IS something noble in that. He just...went a little nuts. He sounds amiable, kind of witty, thoughtful. The part that particularly affected me, because I think it's starting to really sink in how much of a mistake he's made, is when he says: "There's a lot of pretty stuff...but I think they're prettier in a different context". I honestly feel genuine reflection and fatalistic self-realization when he says that. Tragic, all around. He doesn't sound like a bad guy. And he died in a ball of fire.
GPWS He could have easily landed that aircraft using the flight director and the pilot's verbal instructions... even more so with the intrinsic skill he showed in the "maneuver" He uses phraseology like cabin altitude, hand flying and clearly did not exceed the maneuvering speed enough for structural failure so he had *some* information beforehand. When people have nothing left to loose... they loose it. On another note, a lockout and remote interface to the FD is needed on commercial aircraft, this and any other situation where the PIC is not responding to authority or is compromised could see an automatic recall to the airfield of our choosing or water ditch. Yes FD systems are not all capable of bringing the aircraft on centerline and to a full stop... but even being able to send simple headings and altitudes are enough to avert catastrophic consequences to people on the ground or national infrastructure. Use a simplex data modem from Iridium or Inmarsat and directly override compromised aircraft via satellite, worldwide. Obviously some very sophisticated security would be needed but its a solution that could be produced and installed aftermarket within a year... No more 9/11 fear, if you try to take the flightdeck, the controls and FADEC are locked out and you get to talk to the nice men in the F-15s on your way to Gitmo.
Terribly sad. I know he was endangering the lives of others but he was obviously mentally unwell. It was nice hearing ATC and pilots trying to help him but I don’t think he ever had any intention of attempting to land safely. RIP Rich, lets hope you fare better on the next go around.
On a lot of social circles he is a hero, i live in Wasilla, Alaska where many knew him from high school, i may have even met him personally. I feel sad but somewhat envious as well...cause i had dreams of doing what he did.
Daniel Ramsey _____ What, hijacking an airplane and flying it into the ground? You need to re-evaluate your ambitions in that part of the world if that is some sort of satisfactory ambition in life. Maybe you're a troll?
Daniel Ramsey, me too! But in my dreams, there are ALWAYS power lines in the way! This is just so unfortunate. It is perfectly clear he never wanted to hurt anyone. Just a guy that had some issues and no way to deal with them. Even hearing his voice one cant help but like the fella. Farewell Rich, you’re an alright guy!
My heart ached for him. To me he was so engaging. He got it into his head to do something, not thought through by his initial remark didn’t realize how screwed up he was, and was very pragmatic he had made the decision and he really couldn’t back out of it now realizing the consequences were greater than he wanted to endure. I suspect he will be missed. Now the “authorities” and so called mental health professionals will analyze to the point of disgust.
I believe the pilot in blue we hear in this video is a pilot from one of the F15s. Their callsigns were ROCK41 and ROCK42 in case you want to look for some further info.
VASAviation - Yah, I don’t see how anyone else would be able to visually track Rich as he did the barrel roll. The F-15s were right behind him though so they’d have a perfect view.
This goes for anyone watching this video. If you're at a low point in your life, there is always a way up. Talk to someone close to you, someone you trust, and/or that old friend you haven't spoken to in a while. If you go, it's not just your family who will feel loss. Those F15 pilots, the ATC, emergency services, they all were stressed out knowing this man that they're trying to save; will die. That will probably send them into depression as well. Lift up those around you who are down. Be your brother's keeper.
On one hand, I am glad that he sincerely cared (or at least seems to) about how this would impact others and thought he wasn’t putting anyone else in danger (although, in reality, he definitely could have killed someone), sad that he lost his life, and disappointed that his mental health issues were undiagnosed and untreated, proud of the responders, and happy that he went out having fun
Who is this controller? Seems like a very nice and professional person. His voice seems so calm, helpful and friendly. Just seems like a good guy and he did a great job.
Roman I'm surprised theres not a feminist or a some sort of a mysandrist white knight trying to take away from the ATC's merits and blaming the ATC for not saving him
Michael Tapia lol your dumb comment makes ABSOLUTELY ZERO SENSE in this conversation. i suggest you take up a speech course at your local community college. Itll help in situations like this where normal people are discussing things NORMALLY and people like you come with your ignorance and stupidity to try and start something that isn't there. Good luck in life, buddy. You're gonna need it...
Obviously I wouldn't find it funny if I had any connection to the guy, but I don't, he's just one of the millions who die everyday who I pay no thought to, just like you don't.
Can you imagine being the guy filming this and wondering just wtf was going on? I'm sure Rich would be quite happy to know his maneuver was recorded too 😂I sure as hell would be if it had been me!
yeah true, but I don't think he wanted to. He was over life and seems like nothing was going to stop him. It's a terrible thing but you know what, there's something about going out the way he did that I think some people can respect in some strange way. Yeah there's the stolen property and destroying an airplane, endangering others...all of that, but still lol. I actually feel bad for this guy, especially after listening to him. Sounds like someone I could have been friends with. Sad situation.
Thanks for this, made me smile realising he would have in fact been happy to know it was filmed in an otherwise very sombre recording. My thoughts go to his family, may they never hear these and if they do, may it bring comfort to them knowing he enjoyed his final moments.
There's another video that was shared to Facebook which is a bit more terrifying, because you can see the people were just a bit paralysed with fear and not know what to do except watch. What would you do?
The ecstasy of flying to the flame and feeling its warm glow until it burns you alive and for a moment you are as brilliant as a star before you crash to the ground. What a spectacular moment that some can not begin to comprehend.
It's heartwarming how hard the ATC tries to convince him to turn things around... literally and figuratively This is really sad and feels so real. Witnessing how otherwise probably good people dont see another way out is not easy to jug, seems to happen more often with all the things going on in the world. Appreciating nature and the mountains helps... hopefully without crashing into them
I think it is terribly sad. While folks could have been hurt, it was clear from the start harming others was never his intent. He seemed to be an intelligent individual with a kind heart. I wonder the source of his demon? Other than wanting to kill himself, he seemed like a good spirited guy. God Bless him. God Bless his family and thank the good Lord others weren't harmed.
As far as we know, he killed himself because he couldn't afford to make it to college to be a pilot and lived wanting to be flying his entire life, but instead he loaded bags for what he said was long shifts with shitty pay and a shitty boss. The dude went out doing what he always wanted to do. RIP Sky King.
this is a wage issue, this guy was a baggage handler working full time in the miserable weather of WA. He had enough of it, at this dead-end job. Goodnight Skyking
We'll never know what set off this man, but god damn. He lived his final hour in bliss. He didn't want to hurt a soul. He just wanted one more hour to truly live. God speed, Sky King.
By crashing on an inhabited island? By entering populated airspace with no knowledge of ANY rules of aviation safety and procedures? So if a nine year old goes 100 miles per hour in a car, but "doesn't want to hurt anyone", it's okay? This guy was flat evil. He knew just how severe were the crimes that he committed, and proceeded anyway. That's scary and evil.
Been watching your videos since you had like 2k subs. It took longer than it should've, but i am glad you finally are starting to explode in subs and views. Keep up the good work!
There's a little bit of Rich in all of us. How awesome and tragic his story had to end. It's a situation like his that I would've liked to see the aftermath of... if he didn't rot in prison, which was arguably an even worse end if he didn't get the mental help he really needed.
Unfortunately I didn't have this clip when I first edited the other video. I could combine both now but maybe making a third video is too much? Anyway I'm still working to make another video with a radar view and communications from other airplanes who ended up diverting or delaying their landing at SeaTac.
VASAviation - The one you’re editing sounds like it could be the sum of everything. From start to finish too. There are pics of him out too. A video from when he began pushing to after he crashed and then a dedication segment would be cool.
Found this "Tribute", contains longest version of barrel-roll I've seen and (poor quality) footage of the the moments before crash (pov behind terrain) also cuts from pilots yt video. ua-cam.com/video/1QryuNPhT7Y/v-deo.html
*if* you're combining them into one big third video, I would still leave the first two up because there are helpful and interesting comments below them...
So if you took over a nuclear power plant control room, with no intention of hurting anyone, but with no knowledge of how to safely perform, should we say, "He did something no person would ever try. He wasn't trying to hurt anyone. Nice! RIP." He took to the air while unauthorized. That is criminal. Possibly deadly, mass deadly. Get you head on.
I love anything about Aviation. I always wanted to be a Pilot but had to raise my son. Now I m a Corporate Flight Attendant. Rich did what he , I m sure, thought about will be his last day. It was a beautiful scenic evening and he chose this evening to be his last. Sometimes its not that people that commit suicide want to die, but are simply tired of the way they are living. I have mad respect for Rich. Fly high✈✈✈🇺🇸
Starting to have engine trouble right before it crashed . . . really sounds like fuel exhaustion is what ultimately ended the flight. What a shame. These people made truly heroic and deeply empathic attempts to talk him down, all while keeping everyone else safe. It's not their fault this guy wanted to auger it in.
I was in Alaska's cargo terminal and talking with some of the guys who work there. I asked if they knew Rich and what their feelings were about what he had done. I didn't get any negative feedback about Rich at all. They were shaking their heads that he did what he did, but it wasn't anything against him personally. Maybe they understood what Rich must have felt like before he pulled what he did? I asked if they implemented any security protocols to stop anyone else from doing the same thing and they verified Alaska had.
This breaks me every time. I know the ending yet I can't stop myself thinking "please bring this plane down safely man... please". rest in peace sky king 👑
I'm so upset, disappointed mentally illness is serious in this country! Government is not helping! Last year we had the highest suicide rate among vets due to PSDT...people not able to afford Doctors, being bully, rejected, entire families suffering! This guy is calm and apologetic, his voice breaks down and then composed himself when he mentioned "Damn Andrew people's lives at a stake right here"..that tells you a lot! My deepest condolences to his family.😞😖
Very sad somebody could end up like this. Thoughts are with his friends and family. To the guy that stated they found this funny, you’re lower than low.
This is the greatest man in history. These are the type of people we need more of. Not violent but crazy enough to make life more interesting for all of us.plus this guy sounds like he can roll a nice wax joint.
As another person that doesn't want to live anymore, I'd love to go out like this. I have respect that he went out on his own, and didn't take anyone with him.
At some point I would expect investigators to release the flight path as recorded by the black box. Then comes the Omnibus Edition of this sad/amazing incident.
Intentional by the sounds of it At 20:46 hours the aircraft entered a significant sideslip with the control column in a position forward of neutral. The controls were pushed further forward and six seconds later, the aircraft impacted wooded terrain on Ketron Island, 40 km to the southwest of the Seattle/Tacoma Airport. Both wings broke off in the accident sequence and the fuselage came to rest inverted. The sole person on board the aircraft was killed. An FBI-investigation concluded that the final descent to the ground was intentional. Extensive investigative activity failed to reveal any additional subject(s) involved in the planning or execution of the unauthorized flight. Although investigators received information regarding the man's background, possible stressors, and personal life, no element provided a clear motivation for his actions. aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20180810-0
The debate on your antics is well and truly underway Rich but behind the outcry and grief is an elite group of Bombardiers finest quietly sitting in the boardroom discussing the new dance moves of their beloved Dash 8!
pls, this guy did die. a little more respect pls. i get the pun, and for what it's worth it's a pretty good one, but lets not forget that lives were lost here, okay.
I remember standing on my back deck and seeing that plane fly just above the tall pine trees behind my apartment followed by 2 jets, 1 high and one just as low as the plane. My first thought was damn terrorist... But then I thought maybe it was a Air Force training exercise so it wouldn't be on the news. I didn't find out till the next day
"I'm just gonna do this barrel roll real quick." Legends never die, I will forever remember Rich as The Sky King and a man who lived his final day like most of us probably never will. I hope You were happy during Your last moments King... I hope You're in a better place now.
He's in Hell. He committed countless felonies, could have killed hundreds, and he fully well knew that before he took off. He had no safety training so he could have crashed into a full jetliner. The "better place" he is in is Hell. And it is better. Better for the safety of humanity that he's there and not terrorizing innocent lives.
Sounds like it to me. From memory, in other recordings from SEA TWR or APP, you can hear them talk to ROCK 41 as they were scrambling in and that might sound like "Captain Bill" to me. I don't think any other pilots were in the area getting a similar view of the Olympics as Rich was - air traffic control also mentioned that they got a pilot on behind him, so that'd be one of the F-15s then.
Breaks my heart to hear this. Wow he was a very smart person to be able to pull this off... esp with zero training how the hell!? And that barrel roll OMG he sure went out with a bang. Thankful he didn’t hurt anyone else.
![[REAL ATC] Brickyard SUFFERS TRIM RUNAWAY | CONTROL ISSUES at Atlanta](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RzoEsM0L2CM/mqdefault.jpg)
![[REAL ATC] FULL LOSS OF POWER at Miami International #KMIA](/img/n.gif)
*PART 1 HAS COMMUNICATIONS THAT ARE NOT IN THIS VIDEO. WATCH PART 1 HERE -->* ua-cam.com/video/4LLmF9tZoEE/v-deo.html
@VASAviantion
You are the best mate thank you for the quick upload :)
Please turn off your replies. There seem to be too many people glorifying the choice this man made in the end.
Pat Bubba I see most of the comments are saddened by the fact he came this far out. And that he needed help.
All news outlets calling him a hijacker. He stole a plane and was clearly mentally unstable. But overall he really sounded like a nice guy.
These edits are actually a bit irritating, how are we supposed to get an accurate picture when you have two edits jumping around random selections of dialog? It would be very beneficial if you deleted both of these vids and put the conversation in strict chronological order.
Also relabel him as Rich or Richard rather than hijacker, this isn't a hijacking nobody else was on the plane.
“I wasn’t really planning on landing...”
And that’s when your heart sinks.
Yeah...not the worst ending.
lies damnlies
Surprised the fighter jets did not "light him up" when he said that.
Why would they? That'd put everyone on the ground at risk of death unnecessarily.
Yea man i feel bad to lost him rip skyking
"I was kinda hoping that would be it" got me a little
The part that got me the most is at 4:53 when his tone changes and he says "...you know, the sights went by so fast dude. I was thinking like I'm gonna have this moment of serenity, you know, be able to take in all the sights but there is a lot of pretty stuff but I think they're prettier in a different context"
To me, it feels like this is the point where he started to regret what he was doing and that he realised this wasn't going to be a suicide where he's going to see all the sights and feel joy/be at peace but instead he starts to regret it and maybe even realised that things in life can be fixed but now that he's taken this plane, things can no longer be fixed so easily.
I know everyone keeps saying what he did was reckless and while I agree, I think we need to show some empathy. Mental health issues are such a major problem in this world and sometimes all it takes is one little thing to go wrong in your day for it to finally push you over the edge.
I understand a lot of Richards "Beebo" pain, I've been there, I've made that decision to end it but once I did, I immediately regretted it. RIP Beebo, hope you finally found your peace and I hope that someday your family and friends can find that same peace.
Yeah another day, he could have given a full flaps landing a red hot go and possibly even make it to tell the story.
Joshua John The problem is rgat si many mental healtg issues in the YS are caused by doctors carelessly pushing anti depressants onto people that cause suicidal thoughts mixed with hyperactive feelings. It drives normal people into crazy thoughts.
Joshua John
"Moist"
ArmchairWarrior Seriously? You’re going to warp a conversation that has nothing to do with guns into a commentary on gun control? But, since you mentioned it and I’d hate for misinformation to stand alone unchallenged...Your claim about the statistic is absolute nonsense. You can’t quote something that was probably averaged out and present it as if mass shootings are literally happening every day. Also, claims that other countries are doing things better is a really broad sweeping statement. There’s been just as much evidence showing bans have had little to no impact and countries like the UK continue to suffer from attacks using other types of deadly weapons like cars and trucks. Then you have London’s mayor who wants to ban knives. But, none of that is really the point because you present a frenetic, emotional and reactionary case (I use that term lightly as your comment wasn’t really trying to make an argument) and your UA-cam name becomes very fitting. Like most politicians and a large majority of the population, you argue to ban something you don’t understand, which is a major complaint from those who are pro second amendment and pro reasonable gun control. Why is it a complaint? Because many of the things that pro gun control activists are demanding are already in place in some or all states. There are plenty of states that require a background check (including a mental health screening), fingerprinting, interview, and a class (e.g. Massachusetts firearm laws). For the record, I think all of those things are worthwhile steps, but the subject is far too complex to continue it here, especially since that’s not what this video is about.
Joshua John
The soul of a person who commits suicide will never find peace !
Rich: “I got about 760 pounds of fuel left. I’m just gonna do a BARREL ROLL real quick.”
Air traffic control: “Well, no need to do that.”
Did that dude seriously pull a barrelroll in a Dash 8?
Sorry but that's very impressive...
It's not a barrel roll though. Still impressive.
@@Anklejbiter true that. It's a Split S. Wondering how even the fighter pilots mixed that up.
Even the Airline Manager of the Stolen plane was slightly impressed in an interview
@@RioLanrue do you have a link for that?
Honey Weed been lookin for that video too when I wrote it. Maybe it got deleted or I just can’t find it again.
It was a TV news report and the Manager said this stunt with this plane is pretty respectable or somethin like that
I‘ll search it again
“He’d be a hero if he could pull off a landing” - Nice attempt by the other pilot at a bit of reverse psychology...
Agreed
Too bad the crazy dude didn't want a safe landing
R T he actually does. That was the problem. Considering the guy was able to perform basic aerobatics without instantly killing himself, regardless how close to that he really was, he was capable of landing more or less safely with the assistance from the ground, telling him landing speeds and whatnot.
He just was not going to. His plan was to do something crazy and die. To have something “impressive” before his suicide. The pilot tried to convince the guy landing is much greater achievement than that and it could have worked if you ask me. So sad there was not enough fuel at that point.
@R T Rest easy Sky King.
@@EriIaz RT has a point. Calling it "Wanting to do somethingthing impressive" is an insult. We would never know his true intentions. For all we know, he could have just wanted to do what he wants to do before he dies. He's suicidal and had no intentions of landing the plane from the start. He could've gone through many things that a normal human can't take, thus making him suicidal
Such a surreal quality to the conversation, especially from Rich's side.
Greg Stark
Yes. It's an oddly unsettling look at his state of mind.
Something must've made him real depressed that day, and he just went for it without thinking. RIP Skyking. (also, hopefully we dont have any copycats in the future, Rich deserves to be the only one)
Jack Shaheen NOT MY PRESIDENT!
I wish he was though, not being from the USA. DJMT rocks.
Jack Shaheen stop trolling about politics. The comments section was fine until you felt entitled to bring your President out of nowhere just to bitch around "muh feeling".
This is not a video for political discussion Troll. Fuck off.
Yeah, Trump is a fantastic president, end of story, now back to this guy flying the plane - it was probably TDS that caused him to do it!
I feel so terrible for the controller and the pilot(s) who tried to help him.
Totally helpless to do anything but talk to him and watch him dig a hole in the ground.
I think you first have to talk to the person, empathize with him/her, make yourself his/her friend, keep him/her flying safely in a place he/she won't hurt anyone else, and then try to convince that person to do what you want him/her to do. It wouldn't be better to say "you have two F15s behind you ready to fire. You better land now on McChord or they'll do their thing".
He was clearly suicidal. Id agree, any type of "termination" of the flight seemed to be a good thing in his eyes. As soon as he said "I was kinda hoping that was gonna be it" its clear to me that he was trying to do something stupid enough to end his life. I have to say they controllers and pilot on freq did a good job. Although as soon as you start to realize this guy is suicidal you really need to get a professional on the freq that deals with talking people down. I'm not sure what kind of response time for someone like that is but never the less its a good idea I think.
macmedic892 Why do you feel terrible? You're not responsible...
Earl Greystoke: They may not be "responsible" for the actions of Rich or the inevitable outcome. However, They knew they where the only people that would be able to talk Rich down and get him to land the aircraft. I feel bad because they might go to sleep at night thinking to them self "Man, what could I have done differently?" Its almost a form of PTSD.
macmedic892 but he didnt want any help he was a crazy man who wanted to suicide! And he did it with a "fun" way
To be fair that was a hell of a roll..
Garrett Jarnagin epic how did he pull that off amazing !!!
He completely screwed up the roll, and turned it into a split-s. It’s a common mistake when a pilot doesn’t float the aircraft enough through the roll.
As you roll left you need to add right rudder, as you get upside down ease off the right rudder and add down elevator, as you roll onto your right ease off the down elevator and into some left rudder and then ease off the rudder as you return upright. Use the control surfaces to continue attempting a nose-up attitude at every angle throughout the roll.
Now I'll never be afraid to fly with a Q400 I guess LMAO
Yglesias Broeker I was thinking the same damn thing
Let's keep in mind a few things:
1. Mental health problems are real.
2. There have been cases of commercial pilots killing the co pilot and crashing the plane.
3. Aircraft need to be moved around frequently by maintenance so given he was a ramp worker no amount of security would have helped. Even if there were someone assigned to guard access door keys could be the one with the mental health crisis. Ramps are busy places and key control isn't something that will work.
4. This sort of thing is RARE. throwing MORE money at "airport security" is overkill. Only if this were common would that make sense. Throwing money at a non-problem is foolish.
lohphat Menatal health care and just talking about it in school would go a long way.
LOl what? Who's saying mental health problems are fake? Also things should be put in place to ensure a ground agent bum can't just hop in a plane. What's stopping a terrorist from getting an airport job and stealing a plane?
Ivan Guderian security checks when you apply for the job, they don’t do a mental health analysis for a mechanic but they would background check him I assume when applying for a job so he could just breeze through security.
Ground personnel ARE screened. This is why it's RARE for this to happen but it's not impossible.
There's no such thing as perfect security.
I am not talking about perfect security, just basic. Like having the plane locked, cockpit locked, code to start engine etc.
"I was kinda hoping that was gonna be it ..."
Man, he didn't expect to make that barrel roll. It was a close call indeed ...
RIP
Na he was in a nose dive, you can see him change his mind and pull up
@@sunvol4503 no, it was a barrel roll.
@@sunvol4503 He pulled it off with 10ft to spare...
As someone who's also played some video games but never actually flown a plane I occasionally think "I could fly an airplane" and then remember how often I crash in those video games.
Not even a good flight simulator is enough to fly a thing like the Dash-8. Not even a light single engine aircraft I guess. My jump from the simulator to a real aircraft was huge!
Meh. My first flight at the controls of a cessna 152 was terrifying. After a coupla thousand hours on fltsim, I believe I could land it pretty boringly.
I wonder how he got that thing running and up there in the first place, yet I think him doing the barrel role and stuff involved a huge portion of luck.
Would have been interesting if he could have landed it if he wanted to
Nevertheless R.I.P. Rich, he sounded like a generally nice guy with serious mental issues, who got no help. At least he did not harm anybody else like that idiot on the Germanwings flight who took so many innocent lives
ApfelNicknack
I don't remember the germanwings crash but it depends on what they want. The German wings guy may have wanted it to look accidental to avoid problems with insurance. A suicide voids any insurance the guy might have had. Rich prettyclearly didn't plan on landing but crashing.
drmayeda1 the German wings guy was a certified ATP who killed himself along with the entire flight of crew and pax.
He really lived his last day
There's something to be said for going out like a meteor. And doing something amazing as your last act. I loved that he was so concerned about not endangering anyone or anything with his antics, seemed like a fun. likeable guy. I don't condone stealing a $32 mil aircraft, but man, what an exit...
@@ltr4300 yeah I would never end my own life, but if I did this seems much cooler than just taking the gun. I understand that he endangered others, but he did the roll over a lake, so at least he tried. I don't really think he gave a fuck about what other people think, he just wanted to do a mad roll at the end, I can't really blame him for that.
@@ltr4300 I actually thought by the tone of his voice and a number of references to the Olympics that he might have become homicidal instead of suicidal. I think the controller handled it the only possible way cause if he guilted him or pissed him off he may have intentionally crashed the aircraft into innocents.I don't believe this happened without a mental health history which he sort of denied. Then again, the vast majority of people with histories are not violent and even if suicidal don't do what he did. It was actually a very selfish act, he should've sought help or end his life without endangering others.
@@hon3yweed And you need to see a shrink, Honey Weed!
@@brentfoto You know the Olympics are the name of the mountain range there, right? Just trying to make sure, or else I could see that sounding much different...
Very classy and professional ATCs and pilots trying to do their best to help.
It's so sad when he says "i hope I'm not ruining your/anyone's day". Like i know he stole and crashed an airplane but still. That's sad
RefrigeratedCat That was a sad day for all involved. Rich, Approach Controller, F15 pilots, emergency services, Rich's family and colleagues.
ATC and USAF both knew he didn't intend to land. Their goal though, was to try to persuade him to land in the hopes that he'd change his mind.
He was just victimizing himself, probably did that a lot. Couldn't confront whatever the real problem was, so he decides to opt out, while the rest of his family and friends have to live with the fallout. I feel for everyone except Richard.
Cale, it was his right to leave, and I don't understand why you feel you have the right to judge him (or anyone else) makes that decision. Maybe you like your life, good for you. Not everyone does. And what fallout are you referring to? The media coverage and the grief? K. That's just life. People die. Sometimes sooner than expected. Sometimes there's nothing you can do.
bobwinslow That's life? This is anything but ordinary circumstances. He was unwilling or unable to confront whatever his real problem was, and instead of facing that day to day struggle, he chose the easy way out, leaving his family to forever question why. Seems selfish to me, again sympathy for everyone but Richard.
bobwinslow. He stole an expensive airplane and destroyed it. That represents the hard work and investment of a lot of people. Stealing and destroying other peoples things is flat out wrong. That you don't understand this fact, simply shows how immature and simple minded you are. Plus he endangered a lot of commercial aircraft in that airspace, especially during his takeoff. This easily could have killed hundreds of others aboard another aircraft.
Since it was not an official flight it had no flight number. I’m gonna call it Sky King 001. Rest in peace Rich.
he survived...somehow
He didn't survive unfortunately
rip
Iggy Noring-u totally could have hit a neighborhood. However it seems he tried to avoid people. It’s like he tried to keep others safe. That’s worth something.
During his short flight he showed compassion and worry for others.
Even tried to not disturb peoples days.
I’m not saying what he did was right, I don’t think he thought so either.
But he also wasn’t some super bad guy.
Iggy Noring-u you okay dude?
This seems to really bother you.
This poor guy was probley at his lowest and just risked it all. Yeah what he did was wrong but at the same time cant help but feel bad for him.
evan aguayo
I'm going to disagree somewhat. Suicide is never a viable option unless warranted for the sacrifice of self for others. Then it points to a sound mind. I don't know what options Rich had for health care, but it seems that he fell through the cracks.
"he fell through the cracks" you mean he wasn't picked up by the system?
z00h
Health care is a two way road. He may not have taken all of the possible options or was just not aware of them. On the other side, most of a physician's work is observational.
Pat Bubba He probably always acted like everything's fine with him but he had some real mental issues. It's really hard to talk to people about that in that case.
Pat Bubba - I wanted to know if you really mean that people are slaves to the system and this one "fell through the cracks"?
give the media 2 days and everyone will blame videogames
Raidzor つ ◕_◕ つ
Not even leading the news. Trump, Omarrossa, cop handing out a wood shampoo is bigger news.
no, they're gonna blame our lack of funding in mental health and low pay. They guy said he did it cause wages were too low (horizon only pays 12/hr while minimum wage in Seattle is 15. Ground crew make less than the fast food workers at their airport)
wow, minimal wage here is about 3$
where?
LumpySpaceBrotha czech republic
6:20 the barrel roll recovery is amazing
Rich was tired of hurting inside he didn’t want to ruin your day. What a sweetheart rich
nope, he endangered everybody and their grandma at the airport and airspace by stealing the place and flying around. if you do not want to ruin everybody's day: work on your life and ground your butt.
Very sad conversation. Specifically for the ATC guy.
See you, sky cowboy.
Bang.
Why was this the comment to make me cry?
I wonder how many people instantly got this comment?
lmao this comment made me cry too....
You are all sick who replied to this comment. A poor example set and a poor legacy. I pity the cowboy because he was so deranged and needed help.
"He'd be a hero if he could pull off a landing"
So true
That was a good line - I'm glad it made it into the recording.
It was just a desperate attempt to convince him about landing... not meant to be a compliment, obviously. Sure, nice thing, but i am sure he could've landed if he wanted, he didn't even try.
ATCs last ditch effort to convince him to land, problem was, this guy never wanted to be a hero, he wanted to escape his shitty life and end it with joy and thats what he did...
No he'd be in jail if he pulled off the landing lol
The controller did excellent in this situation by not aggravating Richard about his decisions to do it. He knew it was not a terrorist attack, just a guy who hit rock bottom.
Man, listening to him just makes this whole situation even more heartbreaking. He wasn’t trying to hurt anyone... he’d just reached the end. Yeah, obviously, this was not the right thing for him to do. Dangerous. But I dunno, I can just hear the resignation in his voice and I’m just sad for him. I wish there was something someone could’ve done for him. :(
This really might be one of the most interesting avaition incedents in the past few decades, it makes us think how good really is airport security and the security involved in people that actually work for the airport, not just that but also makes us wonder about the guys life, what he must have been going through and what kinds of mental problems he must been suffering from. My prayers to his family and friends and the pilots and atc that tried to help him and the general public
Zeki Sert airport security is a paper exercise. Trust me they are more worried about you bringing soup through security then your mental health, but then they will have a ramp agent who's waiting on security clearance (which is a five year work and address history and a criminal records check) working on the ramp on a white pass. Airlines pay minimum premiums for ground turns which forces the ground handling companies to pay low wages and run the operation with not enough staff because people leave it's just not worth the money for the work involved. Also guys are just too busy to be watching everyone all the time. It's not just mental health here the whole industry needs a boot up the arse because this race to the bottom under cutting everyone for a shit contract that pays measly amounts and rewards a 1% profit margin is dangerous and leaves a lot a holes in the process that is supposed to protect us.
Speaky Box it's same over here bud
It's common sense the people you find who are willing to work for $11 an hour which is what they get look it up on glassdoor.com not going to get the highest caliber of people.Background checks can't weed out unstable people, and they aren't going to pay for psychological testing for every time they higher a guy for $11 an hour. The only way minimze this from happening again is to secure the cockpit doors while they are on the ground maybe if ground personal need to get in there 2 people are required at all times when the door is unlocked.
Zeki Sert o
Uzulduk baba beeboya
Controller was called into action that day, just cuz it was his shift. He did a real good job.
“Just a good old boy/never meanin’ no harm... Some day the mountain might get him, but the law never will...-Waylon Jennings from Dukes of Hazzard
Sierra Brown damn deep stuff
Wow that was really....................................stupid!
Nice he got to do the barrel roll and pulled it off, sad though
Thanks for calling him Rich instead of hijacker
Alex Monamoch He was s highjacker named Richard Russell who stole and destroyed a good airplane, violated air space rules costing many others a lot of money, scramble two F -15s to shoot his stupid a ass down and they would have. I wish they had sit him down. That would have made a good entertaining and instructional video.
George Rivera he wasn't a hijacker, plane was empty and on the ground.
George Rivera don't be a fucking dumbass
Step 1 in any negotiation involving life - you use whatever name they want you to use. Nothing special happened here. They were just keeping him calm and open to suggestions.
George, here is the Definition of hijack. : to seize possession or control of (a vehicle) from another person by force or threat of force;
Well at least he had enough sense to not take innocent people with him.
TXnine7nine People with mental illness who want to commit suicide only very, _very_ rarely want to bring someone else with them. (Unless we count suicide bombers, which I suppose we could, after a fashion.)
The vast, vast majority just want to end themselves. The way they do it is what varies. Many will even go to great lengths to leave as little clean-up as possible for others; they are not without empathy for others. Perhaps even have an abundance of it, just none left for themselves. You’ll see things like laying tarp to make cleaning up blood splatter easier, or taking pills, doing it in a bathtub so any blood can be drained, etc. The best way I can describe it is horrific in its human decency for everyone but themselves.
yes that should be the most important part of this, whether going out like this, doing what you never could do, enjoying your last day, is better or not...
He sounds like a kind soul & I think this quote is very fitting - “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and die with their song still inside them."
Not only does my heart go out to Rich's family and friends but also to the ATC staff and the air Force Pilots from the 142nd Fighter Squadron this is something you cannot train for and for certain this will be discussed at length for quite some time to come do not be surprised if there are some policy changes made because of this both the FAA and the Air Force did everything they could to try to get him to land safely
Rich said part of his reasoning was the low wages. Maybe improving pay for ground crew will also be discussed (its a hard, dangerous job. Ground crewmen deserve more than someone working at McDonalds). Minimum wage in Seattle is 15/hr, yet somehow Horizon is able to pay their workers 12/hr.
and if horizon cant afford to pay minimum wage, then they cant afford to stay in business, and they should dissolve.
I find this kind of heart-breaking. This guy Rich was clearly disturbed...but he didn't seem like a a bad guy; just, as he says, "a broken guy". What he did was incredibly reckless and could've killed/hurt many people, but in my opinion, and judging from his own statements (and, in the end, his actions) he did not want to hurt anyone. There IS something noble in that. He just...went a little nuts. He sounds amiable, kind of witty, thoughtful. The part that particularly affected me, because I think it's starting to really sink in how much of a mistake he's made, is when he says: "There's a lot of pretty stuff...but I think they're prettier in a different context". I honestly feel genuine reflection and fatalistic self-realization when he says that. Tragic, all around. He doesn't sound like a bad guy. And he died in a ball of fire.
this is genuinely heartbreaking on so many levels
You can hear "terrain" at 2:01.
yes... thats why its written there... lol.
Ok......
mkvvv just an observation. I wonder what his altitude was there.
I mean, he flew barrel rolls and loops. i would expect he heard plenty of "pull up"'s and "terrain"'s.
GPWS
He could have easily landed that aircraft using the flight director and the pilot's verbal instructions... even more so with the intrinsic skill he showed in the "maneuver"
He uses phraseology like cabin altitude, hand flying and clearly did not exceed the maneuvering speed enough for structural failure so he had *some* information beforehand.
When people have nothing left to loose... they loose it.
On another note, a lockout and remote interface to the FD is needed on commercial aircraft, this and any other situation where the PIC is not responding to authority or is compromised could see an automatic recall to the airfield of our choosing or water ditch. Yes FD systems are not all capable of bringing the aircraft on centerline and to a full stop... but even being able to send simple headings and altitudes are enough to avert catastrophic consequences to people on the ground or national infrastructure.
Use a simplex data modem from Iridium or Inmarsat and directly override compromised aircraft via satellite, worldwide. Obviously some very sophisticated security would be needed but its a solution that could be produced and installed aftermarket within a year...
No more 9/11 fear, if you try to take the flightdeck, the controls and FADEC are locked out and you get to talk to the nice men in the F-15s on your way to Gitmo.
Terribly sad. I know he was endangering the lives of others but he was obviously mentally unwell. It was nice hearing ATC and pilots trying to help him but I don’t think he ever had any intention of attempting to land safely. RIP Rich, lets hope you fare better on the next go around.
On a lot of social circles he is a hero, i live in Wasilla, Alaska where many knew him from high school, i may have even met him personally. I feel sad but somewhat envious as well...cause i had dreams of doing what he did.
I hear that!
Daniel Ramsey _____ What, hijacking an airplane and flying it into the ground? You need to re-evaluate your ambitions in that part of the world if that is some sort of satisfactory ambition in life. Maybe you're a troll?
Daniel Ramsey, me too! But in my dreams, there are ALWAYS power lines in the way!
This is just so unfortunate. It is perfectly clear he never wanted to hurt anyone. Just a guy that had some issues and no way to deal with them.
Even hearing his voice one cant help but like the fella.
Farewell Rich, you’re an alright guy!
He did a barrel roll into our hearts.
There was no hijacking, the plane was empty and on the ground.
My heart ached for him. To me he was so engaging. He got it into his head to do something, not thought through by his initial remark didn’t realize how screwed up he was, and was very pragmatic he had made the decision and he really couldn’t back out of it now realizing the consequences were greater than he wanted to endure. I suspect he will be missed. Now the “authorities” and so called mental health professionals will analyze to the point of disgust.
Should have flown to northern Canada and escaped to the forest. That's what I would do in his situation if I didn't want to end it all.
Milton Waddams where would you land though
On a lake, best chances for survival. Canada has plenty of those.
Waynestarr what the fuck is wrong with you?
Poor guy. Its a shame he never got the help he needed before it came to this.
Michael Miller He didn’t need help. He needed flying lessons.
Any chance we'll get the audio from the f15s
Simpson Sharing probably not. I believe they use like UHF radios that are encrypted and everything
Aviator Dylan someone should get working on a FOIA for those recordings, well at least apart of them
I believe the pilot in blue we hear in this video is a pilot from one of the F15s. Their callsigns were ROCK41 and ROCK42 in case you want to look for some further info.
VASAviation - Yah, I don’t see how anyone else would be able to visually track Rich as he did the barrel roll. The F-15s were right behind him though so they’d have a perfect view.
VASAviation - ua-cam.com/video/BY0cTjjT_yo/v-deo.html some more audio including F15s ROCK 41 and 42
This goes for anyone watching this video. If you're at a low point in your life, there is always a way up. Talk to someone close to you, someone you trust, and/or that old friend you haven't spoken to in a while.
If you go, it's not just your family who will feel loss. Those F15 pilots, the ATC, emergency services, they all were stressed out knowing this man that they're trying to save; will die. That will probably send them into depression as well.
Lift up those around you who are down. Be your brother's keeper.
Have to totally agree. My brother committed suicide, nobody understood why. Our mother cried every day of her life afterwards.
Goku- goku-goku-goku They won't all automatically be subject to depression, but they will at the very least need a strong drink when they get home
nice words!
Andrew I silently cried readng your comment at 3:50 midnight
You can tell this guy is a wonderful person just brought to his breaking point.he would have made a fantastic pilot. RIP Rich.Fly high brother.
On one hand, I am glad that he sincerely cared (or at least seems to) about how this would impact others and thought he wasn’t putting anyone else in danger (although, in reality, he definitely could have killed someone), sad that he lost his life, and disappointed that his mental health issues were undiagnosed and untreated, proud of the responders, and happy that he went out having fun
Who is this controller? Seems like a very nice and professional person. His voice seems so calm, helpful and friendly. Just seems like a good guy and he did a great job.
Roman his name is Andrew.
sgtmerker2401 Yeah, you are right, he said that somewhere in the transmissions. I might try to catch him on LiveATC.
Roman I'm surprised theres not a feminist or a some sort of a mysandrist white knight trying to take away from the ATC's merits and blaming the ATC for not saving him
Michael Tapia lol your dumb comment makes ABSOLUTELY ZERO SENSE in this conversation. i suggest you take up a speech course at your local community college. Itll help in situations like this where normal people are discussing things NORMALLY and people like you come with your ignorance and stupidity to try and start something that isn't there. Good luck in life, buddy. You're gonna need it...
sgtmerker2401 i already have good look hater
So so sad.
I found it funny
Ivan Guderian Would you say that if it was a member of your family? Have some respect.
Obviously I wouldn't find it funny if I had any connection to the guy, but I don't, he's just one of the millions who die everyday who I pay no thought to, just like you don't.
Ivan Guderian Typical.
yup
RIP Skyking. That was a great way to end it.
after 9/11 are you actually promoting stealing a plane for fun and terrorizing people on the ground and at ATC
your a dipshit
Rick Fern he didn't terrorize anybody on the ground
Rick Fern fuck off
Rick Fern the US government did 9/11, always remember that.
yukosaturno don't be dumb
If life is a simulation he sure chose a great way to get Game Over
Don't sensationalize this. He was a threat. Instead, go support mental health resources. Prevent more threats.
"He didn't got up there to die... He went up there to live."
Can you imagine being the guy filming this and wondering just wtf was going on? I'm sure Rich would be quite happy to know his maneuver was recorded too 😂I sure as hell would be if it had been me!
just imagine if he had actually landed it, dude couldve seen his stunts all over the internet and been proud (and behind bars...)
yeah true, but I don't think he wanted to. He was over life and seems like nothing was going to stop him. It's a terrible thing but you know what, there's something about going out the way he did that I think some people can respect in some strange way. Yeah there's the stolen property and destroying an airplane, endangering others...all of that, but still lol. I actually feel bad for this guy, especially after listening to him. Sounds like someone I could have been friends with. Sad situation.
Thanks for this, made me smile realising he would have in fact been happy to know it was filmed in an otherwise very sombre recording. My thoughts go to his family, may they never hear these and if they do, may it bring comfort to them knowing he enjoyed his final moments.
There's another video that was shared to Facebook which is a bit more terrifying, because you can see the people were just a bit paralysed with fear and not know what to do except watch. What would you do?
That low roll over the ocean was amazing Rich
He did a barrel roll for all of us. "I don't want to hurt nobody, I just want you to whisper sweet nothings in my ear".
Barrel role first time out ! Godspeed Rich thanks for not killing anyone else!
The ecstasy of flying to the flame and feeling its warm glow until it burns you alive and for a moment you are as brilliant as a star before you crash to the ground. What a spectacular moment that some can not begin to comprehend.
It's heartwarming how hard the ATC tries to convince him to turn things around... literally and figuratively
This is really sad and feels so real. Witnessing how otherwise probably good people dont see another way out is not easy to jug, seems to happen more often with all the things going on in the world. Appreciating nature and the mountains helps... hopefully without crashing into them
I think it is terribly sad. While folks could have been hurt, it was clear from the start harming others was never his intent. He seemed to be an intelligent individual with a kind heart. I wonder the source of his demon? Other than wanting to kill himself, he seemed like a good spirited guy. God Bless him. God Bless his family and thank the good Lord others weren't harmed.
I knew there'd be someone thanking a non-existent supernatural entity here somewhere
The Truth
Wow, don't cut yourself with that edge.
As far as we know, he killed himself because he couldn't afford to make it to college to be a pilot and lived wanting to be flying his entire life, but instead he loaded bags for what he said was long shifts with shitty pay and a shitty boss. The dude went out doing what he always wanted to do. RIP Sky King.
He said he's just a minimum wage guy and hoped his story would reach the higher ups so things could change
It is sad too listen to a broken man... Even if he did make the aviation industry unsettle for a while...
The way when he did the barrel roll so close to the water I thought for a second he was a fighter pilot
this is a wage issue, this guy was a baggage handler working full time in the miserable weather of WA. He had enough of it, at this dead-end job. Goodnight Skyking
Lol...no. But way to shift the blame👌🏼
APisceanSlant I apreciate it, homie👊
Yep, capitalism certainly gets part of the blame
“Not enough to get by” amen brotha you nailed that roll beyond impressive
RIP Beebo, I hope you are in a better place now. Also, God bless the ATC controller and Captain Bill, from Horizon, for their patience...
We'll never know what set off this man, but god damn. He lived his final hour in bliss. He didn't want to hurt a soul. He just wanted one more hour to truly live.
God speed, Sky King.
By crashing on an inhabited island?
By entering populated airspace with no knowledge of ANY rules of aviation safety and procedures?
So if a nine year old goes 100 miles per hour in a car, but "doesn't want to hurt anyone", it's okay?
This guy was flat evil. He knew just how severe were the crimes that he committed, and proceeded anyway. That's scary and evil.
"I don't care, I'm still free. You can't take the sky from me."
It's not a day to be shiny.
Thanks for the upload even if its a bit scrambled, really got a different view of the guy from this compared to what I got from the media.
Been watching your videos since you had like 2k subs. It took longer than it should've, but i am glad you finally are starting to explode in subs and views. Keep up the good work!
Captain bill was clearly jealous of rich that he got to do a barrel roll😏
Respect for rich not going out by taking a bunch of innocent people with him. And even apologizing to anyone who might have cared about him .
Seemed like a chill guy, good sense of humour
I'm just so glad he wasn't wanting to hurt anyone or "mess anyone's day up" that's so different to me. I wish he could have been helped.
There's a little bit of Rich in all of us. How awesome and tragic his story had to end. It's a situation like his that I would've liked to see the aftermath of... if he didn't rot in prison, which was arguably an even worse end if he didn't get the mental help he really needed.
Maybe combine the 2 audio? But nonetheless great video!
Unfortunately I didn't have this clip when I first edited the other video. I could combine both now but maybe making a third video is too much? Anyway I'm still working to make another video with a radar view and communications from other airplanes who ended up diverting or delaying their landing at SeaTac.
VASAviation -
The one you’re editing sounds like it could be the sum of everything. From start to finish too. There are pics of him out too. A video from when he began pushing to after he crashed and then a dedication segment would be cool.
Found this "Tribute", contains longest version of barrel-roll I've seen and (poor quality) footage of the the moments before crash (pov behind terrain) also cuts from pilots yt video. ua-cam.com/video/1QryuNPhT7Y/v-deo.html
*if* you're combining them into one big third video, I would still leave the first two up because there are helpful and interesting comments below them...
Would like to hear it in the proper order.
He did something no person would ever try in a plane like that. He wasn't trying to hurt anyone. Nice roll RIP.
So if you took over a nuclear power plant control room, with no intention of hurting anyone, but with no knowledge of how to safely perform, should we say, "He did something no person would ever try. He wasn't trying to hurt anyone. Nice! RIP."
He took to the air while unauthorized. That is criminal. Possibly deadly, mass deadly. Get you head on.
I love anything about Aviation. I always wanted to be a Pilot but had to raise my son. Now I m a Corporate Flight Attendant. Rich did what he , I m sure, thought about will be his last day. It was a beautiful scenic evening and he chose this evening to be his last. Sometimes its not that people that commit suicide want to die, but are simply tired of the way they are living. I have mad respect for Rich. Fly high✈✈✈🇺🇸
Such a sad story....for all involved. RIP Rich
Starting to have engine trouble right before it crashed . . . really sounds like fuel exhaustion is what ultimately ended the flight. What a shame. These people made truly heroic and deeply empathic attempts to talk him down, all while keeping everyone else safe. It's not their fault this guy wanted to auger it in.
As always an amazing job Vas, waiting for that third video.
I was in Alaska's cargo terminal and talking with some of the guys who work there. I asked if they knew Rich and what their feelings were about what he had done. I didn't get any negative feedback about Rich at all. They were shaking their heads that he did what he did, but it wasn't anything against him personally. Maybe they understood what Rich must have felt like before he pulled what he did? I asked if they implemented any security protocols to stop anyone else from doing the same thing and they verified Alaska had.
This breaks me every time. I know the ending yet I can't stop myself thinking "please bring this plane down safely man... please". rest in peace sky king 👑
Pilot and ATC did their best. But Sky King 1 had no plans of landing, May he rest in peace with Gods angels.
I'm so upset, disappointed mentally illness is serious in this country! Government is not helping! Last year we had the highest suicide rate among vets due to PSDT...people not able to afford Doctors, being bully, rejected, entire families suffering! This guy is calm and apologetic, his voice breaks down and then composed himself when he mentioned "Damn Andrew people's lives at a stake right here"..that tells you a lot!
My deepest condolences to his family.😞😖
So Sad,. Great job by all the controllers and Captain Bill,.. Incredible professionalism in a very difficult and sad situation.
Very sad somebody could end up like this. Thoughts are with his friends and family. To the guy that stated they found this funny, you’re lower than low.
This is the greatest man in history. These are the type of people we need more of. Not violent but crazy enough to make life more interesting for all of us.plus this guy sounds like he can roll a nice wax joint.
Yeah, no.
5:35 I’m just gonna do this barrel roll real quick 🤦🏻♂️😂
As another person that doesn't want to live anymore, I'd love to go out like this. I have respect that he went out on his own, and didn't take anyone with him.
Didn't expect part 2 ._.
A part 3 is coming as well with all the communications with other airplanes that ended up diverting.
@@VASAviation omg yes!! Thanks VAS!!
@VASAViation why did you seem to put the audio clips in completely random order? Really hard to follow
This could've all been a single video, obviously. Any idea why it's not..? Anything for the views -_-
At some point I would expect investigators to release the flight path as recorded by the black box. Then comes the Omnibus Edition of this sad/amazing incident.
Feels like me playing GTA except he was piloting a real aircraft.
"(terrain) you are very calm, collect voice"
Was he complimenting the automated terrain warning voice? That's pretty funny.
Pretty overwhelming -- left a lump in my throat -- and wiped away a tear. He's transitioned from physical to spritual. Now he can truly fly!
No, he's dead
Will be interesting to see what the flight data says - if he nose it in intentionally, or lost control once he lost an engine.
Intentional by the sounds of it
At 20:46 hours the aircraft entered a significant sideslip with the control column in a position forward of neutral. The controls were pushed further forward and six seconds later, the aircraft impacted wooded terrain on Ketron Island, 40 km to the southwest of the Seattle/Tacoma Airport. Both wings broke off in the accident sequence and the fuselage came to rest inverted. The sole person on board the aircraft was killed.
An FBI-investigation concluded that the final descent to the ground was intentional. Extensive investigative activity failed to reveal any additional subject(s) involved in the planning or execution of the unauthorized flight. Although investigators received information regarding the man's background, possible stressors, and personal life, no element provided a clear motivation for his actions.
aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20180810-0
I feel for the controller. He did a great job but he was totally helpless and he knew his attempts were futile.
The debate on your antics is well and truly underway Rich but behind the outcry and grief is an elite group of Bombardiers
finest quietly sitting in the boardroom discussing the new dance moves of their beloved Dash 8!
When posting multiple-part videos, can you please post the links for the other part(s) in the description?
He's pretty ''fly'' for a white guy.
I'm the best. Hey! A lot of us white guys are pretty fly! I was more “fly” in my younger years!
heeder777 he's quoting a song from the 90s...
pls, this guy did die.
a little more respect pls.
i get the pun, and for what it's worth it's a pretty good one, but lets not forget that lives were lost here, okay.
robert linke guarantee you he would find it funny himself.
thats fair. thats actually fair
I remember standing on my back deck and seeing that plane fly just above the tall pine trees behind my apartment followed by 2 jets, 1 high and one just as low as the plane. My first thought was damn terrorist... But then I thought maybe it was a Air Force training exercise so it wouldn't be on the news. I didn't find out till the next day
“He went out with his boots on.” Really hits home.
"I'm just gonna do this barrel roll real quick."
Legends never die, I will forever remember Rich as The Sky King and a man who lived his final day like most of us probably never will. I hope You were happy during Your last moments King... I hope You're in a better place now.
He's in Hell. He committed countless felonies, could have killed hundreds, and he fully well knew that before he took off. He had no safety training so he could have crashed into a full jetliner.
The "better place" he is in is Hell. And it is better. Better for the safety of humanity that he's there and not terrorizing innocent lives.
Was Captain Bill the pilot of one of the F-15’s or one of the pilots that was put on the radio to help with landing?
Sounds like it to me. From memory, in other recordings from SEA TWR or APP, you can hear them talk to ROCK 41 as they were scrambling in and that might sound like "Captain Bill" to me. I don't think any other pilots were in the area getting a similar view of the Olympics as Rich was - air traffic control also mentioned that they got a pilot on behind him, so that'd be one of the F-15s then.
You can clearly hear the sound of a turbo prop engine in the background as the other pilot trying to help was speaking. It wasn't the f15 pilot...
Life: The sights *do* go by so fast. Im 51 and my kids grew up so fast. Who am I after I'm a mom?
Breaks my heart to hear this. Wow he was a very smart person to be able to pull this off... esp with zero training how the hell!? And that barrel roll OMG he sure went out with a bang. Thankful he didn’t hurt anyone else.