He also shows off clips from a ski trip at Schweitzer Mountain in Sandpoint, Idaho, and a hiking trip at Precipice Trail in Maine's Acadia National Park. The second half of the two-minute video is devoted to Russell's travels, featuring photos and videos from his different trips around the world. The final YouTube video posted by a Seattle plane hijacker depicts a happily married man with a monotonous job that's only silver lining was the travel opportunities it afforded him. [note 20] Having taken office so late in President Kennedys first term, Johnson was eligible to govern for nine years if he managed to win election in 1964 and 1968. Air traffic control: If you wanted to land, probably your best bet is that runway just ahead and to your left. And you just willing the very soul out of him. The man has been identified as Richard Russell, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation confirmed to CNN on Saturday night. But Ive kept her off. Richard Russell: quiet, well-liked Seattle airport worker who stole a [24] Delayed by the SteilacoomAnderson Island ferry, firefighters from West Pierce Fire and Rescue and other nearby departments arrived on the island about an hour and a half after the crash, where they then contended with the island's thick brush. So many bags,' he said. Simultaneously, Johnson was disingenuous to the point of being misleading about whom he wanted to chair the commission. Harry S. Truman Library & Museum. Rich:I feel like one of my engines is going out or something. Well, {the only argument about it is that, of course, in a} matter of this magnitude, the American people would feel reassured to have a member of the highest Courtthats the only [argument] youve got. [Laughs, and Russell joins in.]. [15] He said he was a "broken guy, got a few screws loose I guess. Hes getting a little old, isnt he? Such statement shall describe the salaries, travel, equipment rent and similar general categories, with the total obligations and total estimated cost, this approval to be subject to such financial statement being furnished to each of the Commissioners and their having an opportunity to direct such inquiries as they may care to to [sic] the General Counsel about specific items. We want me terribly many other offers via chennault. Beebo was loved by everyone because he was kind and gentle to each person he met. . "[16][19] He added that he "wasn't really planning on landing it. On August 10, 2018, a Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 was stolen from SeattleTacoma International Airport (SeaTac) in Seattle, Washington. Im going to try to get Allen [W.] Dulles. 'I usually have to work outside in this,' Russell says. It's going to disappoint them to hear that I did this. Rich: Ah minimum wage. and scholarly value of traditional peer-reviewed university press publishing I think I'm gonna try to do a barrel roll, and if that goes good, I'm just gonna nose down and call it a night. 35657. [14] The transmissions were quickly recorded and posted on social media websites. I saw where he was in the box there with Lady Bird. OK. Now I, Well, Ireally, Mr. President, unless you, unless you really think itd be of some benefit. The incident aircraft was a Bombardier Q400, owned by Horizon Air (and operating for Alaska Airlines) with the registration N449QX[2][3][4] and serial number 4410. 'I think I might mess something up there too. Lyndon Johnson and Richard Russell on 29 November 1963 Might as well have gone to the moon. Over the ten months of the Commissions existence, they held only 13 meetings, not all of which were fully attended. The Miller Center is a nonpartisan affiliate of the University of Virginia [37] From early childhood he was known as "Beebo" to his friends and family. This thing of television [and] radio has narrowed the group of celebrities to just those in the very highest positions. I want to see that guy. Rich: Damnit Andrew, people's lives are at stake here. ATC said, "they would give you a job doing anything if you could pull this off", to which he replied, "Yeah right! . . We'll chalk it up to that. In this season of life we enjoy exploring as much as possible, whether its a day (or so) trip to one of Alaska Airlines destinations, or visiting a new area of Washington, Russell wrote about himself and his wife online. [unclear] see it'd save my life, I declare, I dont want to serve on that [unclear]. The episode illustrates several interesting aspects of the workings of the Commission and the creation of the Warren Report. [note 6] Johnson had discussed the membership most candidly with Abe Fortas, of course, and to a lesser extent with J. Edgar Hoover. The FBI investigation found that Russell was a properly credentialed employee of Horizon Air, had access to the exterior and interior of aircraft in the regular course of his duties, and did not. Although a New Zealand citizen, he has lived most of his life in Australia. The Chairman then announced that an appointment had been made for the Commission to deliver its Report Volume to the President on September 24, 1964, at 11:00 a.m., at the White House. Russell's dissent was the most vocal, and is captured in a phone conversation with President Johnson late on 18 September 1964, a few hours after the Commission's final executive session. [note 14] Russell chaired the Senate Armed Services subcommittee with responsibility for oversight of the CIA. Richard Russell: Man who stole SeaTac plane was warm and compassionate Rich: I wouldnt know how to land it, I wasnt really planning on landing it. Authorities said he used a tractor to rotate the plane 180 degrees, positioning it so that he could taxi toward a runway. I've got another pilot coming up, pilot Joel, in just a minute here I hope. [note 30] Johnson was asking Russell to help him develop the line of argument Johnson could use in the upcoming meeting with Warrenunbeknownst to Russell! They say says this is a complete shock. Like, uh, 760? [be]cause I just wanted to be sure that I knew what I was doing. , updated The Warren Report was ready to be sent to the printers when Russell demanded a special meeting of the Commissioners, during which he set out his objections to the central element of the case against Oswald, the singlebullet theory. Youve got some smart boys around you there that can give you the name of some outstanding circuit court judge. [12] Flights in and out of SeaTac Airport were temporarily suspended. I thought it was just a seven-dollar-and-a-half thing. But hes agreeable to folks like Dulles, and . [46][47], N449QX, the aircraft involved in the incident, pictured 2 months before the crash. Although investigators received information regarding Russell's background, possible stressors, and personal life, no element provided a clear motivation for Russell's actions. Like, a lot of bags. Alaska Air Group CEO Brad Tilden said at a news conference Saturday that Russell worked for Horizon Air for four years and was on the clock and in uniform when he stole the twin-engine turboprop plane, which was parked in a cargo lot at the time. call you, but you can get plenty of them. I wouldn't want to do that. Never really knew it, until now.'. Family friend Mike Matthews read a statement from Russells family that said the incident was a complete shock to them. [1][7][8][9] In response, two McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagles of the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Fighter Wing under the command of NORAD[10] were scrambled at around 20:15 local time[11] from Portland Air National Guard Base to intercept it. [4] It landed at SeattleTacoma International Airport at 13:35 local time the afternoon of the incident, after an in-service flight from Victoria, British Columbia. Full Audio (1 hr) of Raw ATC Transmissions from Richard "Beebo" Russell You know [E. Barrett] Prettyman? A Motion was made, seconded and carried that one set of the Report and Hearings with the proposed recipients name stamped in gold be furnished each of the staff members who have been with the Commission a substantial period of time in the work of the investigation and preparation of the Report. I told you today I was gonna name the chief justice when I called you. In Russells words: according to their theory, he not only missed the whole automobile, but he missed the street!. Well, how [did] you happen to get ahold of him? [Verse 2] My man flies today. 'Oh those guys will try to rough me up if I try land there,' Rich replied. The final Report acknowledged that the possibility of others being involved with either Oswald or Ruby cannot be rejected categorically (Warren Report, p.22), but had only this to say about Russells and Coopers objections: Although it is not necessary to any essential findings of the Commission to determine just which shot hit Governor Connally, there is very persuasive evidence from the experts to indicate that the same bullet which pierced the Presidents throat also caused Governor Connallys wounds. [Thats the] only argument you can make for it. Russell served in the Naval Reserve during the First World War and was given command of a coastal battery. Some threads . [aside] Bill [Moyers], give me that list of the people. "[42] During his conversation with air traffic control, Russell said he "[knew] what [he was] doing a little bit" because he had experience playing video games. The equipment was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board for processing. Rich: Nah I mean, I don't need that much help. Air traffic control:Ah Rich, don't say stuff like that. Richard "Beebo" Russell, the Horizon Air employee who stole a plane from Sea-Tac Airport on Friday night, performed midair acrobatics over Puget Sound and then crashed into an island, was an . Family and friends try to reconcile Richard Russell's action with the More sinister was Rankins treatment of the record of the 18 September meeting. A transcript of the relevant part of the conversation is reproduced below, along with the official minutes of the 18 September meeting. The purpose of the Warren Report, as outlined in Nicholas Katzenbachs memo, was to help the news media to convince the public that Oswald was the assassin [and] that he did not have confederates who are still at large. It was clearly felt that for the reports conclusions to be convincing, the Commissioners needed to be seen to be unanimous. No, no, you wouldnt want [Tom C.] Clark hardly. . The President undoubtedly realized that if he were candid with Russell, the senator was likely to refuse appointment to the commission. The daytoday administration was under the control of the former Solicitor General, J. Lee Rankin. Authorities sent fighter jets to escort him, and the controller repeatedly tried to direct him to runways. . [20] They married in 2012. As a dedicated white supremacist, he preferred to spend his time in opposing the Kennedy administrations civil rights legislation, which was slowly making its way through the Senate in 1964. [note 5] Chief Justice Warren was due at the White House in 25 minutes. As chairman of the Armed Services Committee from 1951 to 1968, he greatly influenced American military and foreign policy in the post- World War II era. Richard Russell, who dreamed of being in the military and once ran a bakery with his wife, was identified as the suicidal airport ground services worker who stole an airplane from Sea-Tac. Im going to try to get Senator Russell and Senator [John Sherman] Cooper from the Senate. 22 November 1963 An Introduction to the JFK Assassination, You are here: Home Other JFK Assassination Texts JFK Assassination Documents Senator Richard Russell and the Warren Report. "[20], Rolling Stone magazine investigated the incident and reported in 2021 that some of Russell's friends and family believe he may have suffered brain injuries during his football years in high school and college. Known as Beebo to family and friends, Russell was in his youth a gregarious, outgoing star athlete at Wasilla High School in Alaska, according to The Anchorage Daily News, running track and wrestling. Magazines, Digital I was thinking, like, I'm going to have this moment of serenity, take in all the sights. You get your rest. Air traffic control: Do you have any idea of how much fuel you have left? history and strives to apply the lessons of history to the nations most And Im going to have[T. Hale] Boggs [Sr.] has entered a resolution over there, and I havent talked to anybody about the membership but you. [note 18] Russell was referring to the House gallery where Lady Bird listened to the Joint Session address. Couldnt you do it quietly by invitation? "Sky King" is a nickname given to 29-year-old ground service operator Richard Russell after he stole a Horizon Air Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 airliner from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) and died after crashing on Ketron Island in Puget Sound. 18:33 BST 13 Aug 2018, The suicidal airport worker who hijacked and crashed a plane said before he died:'I'll go nose down and call it a night.'. Others include how, nearly 17 years after the 9/11 attack, someone can simply take a passenger plane from a major U.S. airport without authorization. when Johnson asked then-Sen. Richard B. Russell . Rotunda was created for the publication of original digital scholarship along But the plane slammed into tiny Ketron Island, a sparsely populated island southwest of Tacoma. Rich:Oh man, not enough. why they ought to. . LBJ: I told you I was gonna name Warren and you said it would be better to name Harlan. Ohhh. I understand none of the Court. They said it's clear Russell didn't intend to harm anyone, and 'he was right in saying that there are so many people who loved him.'. I wanted to get your reaction to it. Russells unpublished personal papers can be found in the Richard B. Russell Memorial Library at the University of Georgia, Athens. Charlie Moore For Mailonline, Praise for 'calm, prudent' Seattle air traffic controller who struck up a rapport with 'one in a million' plane hijacker and helped avoid mass casualties, Hijacker's remains found: Aerial photos show crash site from above as plane's flight recorder is found among shattered pieces of aircraft so small 'you can pick them all up by hand', 'We're not your enemies!' . All Rights Reserved. How many assassinations]you dont have a President assassinated but every 50 years. Even so, Russell pleaded with Johnson to find someone else to serve on the panel, on the grounds that he didnt have the time and enough energy for the task. And they would evaluate it, and then maybe . . Hes an Eisenhower appointee? I wouldn't want to do that. Hes the kind of fella that thinks hes the last word. He then flew around the area for about an hour, speaking at times with air traffic controllers and apologizing to loved ones for what he was about to do. They said it's not clear whether he had ever taken flight lessons or used flight simulators, or where he gained the skills to take off. A football teammate suggested his mental instability had been caused by undiagnosed chronic traumatic encephalopathy that may have come from repeated concussions. Lyndon Johnson and Richard Russell on 29 November 1963, Edited by Max Holland, with David Shreve, Ashley Havard High, and Patricia Dunn, See the daily introduction for 1963-11-29 [from the Norton edition]. Hes a magnificent man; hed [have] been perfect. "[21] When an air traffic controller requested he land the plane after this maneuver, he said "I don't know. theres some things about it I cant talk about, but[note 3] Johnson was probably referring to the allegation leveled by Nicaraguan informant Gilberto Alvarado that Oswald received money in the Cuban Embassy in Mexico City. Russell went by 'Beebo' on social media. [note 21] Russell suffered from emphysema. . No, uh-uh. I would hope it is for a guy like me. Ill be. . And I dont want some of those fellassome of those fellas got no business there. This was not the only example of manipulation of the records of the Warren Commission. [note 2] Johnson was referring to the presidential commission. In later years, Rankin himself seems to have entertained the possibility that the assassination was the result of a conspiracy. . Gary Beck, CEO of Horizon Air, told The Seattle Times it was impressive that Russell pulled off incredible maneuvers like a barrel roll with no flying experience. pressing contemporary governance challenges. Physical copies of many presidential phone calls are available from the National Archives. I had a nice visit with your governor, and told him that we had talked[note 17] Governor Carl Sanders represented a younger generation of Democrats who were more moderate on racial issues. Well, I dont believe it. Johnson, presumably out of politeness, replied, I dont either. Russells fellow dissenter at the 18 September meeting, Senator John Cooper, wrote that it seems to me that Governor Connallys statement negates such a conclusion., Russell also pointed out the implausibility of the notion that a gunman could be skillful enough to hit Kennedy twice, yet so incompetent that he missed completely with the shot that wounded James Tague, who was standing almost 100 yards from the presidents car: Well, a man thats a good enough shot to put two bullets right into Kennedy, he didnt miss that whole automobile., Tagues deposition (Warren Commission Hearings, vol.7, pp.55257) had been taken by one of the staff attorneys, Wesley Liebeler, with no Commissioners present. How to pronounce Russell | HowToPronounce.com Magazines, stole a plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Or create a free account to access more articles, 'Beebo Was Loved By Everyone.' After graduated from the law department of University of . 1, ed. I think hes on the Circuit Court of Appeals up in New York now. The individual did use a pushback tractor to rotate the aircraft 180 degrees so he could then taxi the aircraft, Pohl said at the news conference Saturday. And we'll be able to give you some advice on what to do next. And if I had my way, youd be in my place and Id trade with you! 'You think if I land this successfully Alaska will give me a job as a pilot?' '. . Compilation of footage of the aircraft being flown erratically in the vicinity of Seattle, and the pursuing F-15s, News report featuring surveillance footage, Man Steals a Passenger Plane and Crashes it Just After Takeoff (With Real Video), Washington State University Global Campus, "National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Preliminary Report Accident Number: WPR18FA220", "Update on Investigation into Unauthorized Flight", "Alaska Air Horizon plane crashes after being stolen by airline employee", "How it unfolded: Full coverage of the Horizon Air crash and the man who stole the plane from Sea-Tac", "Stolen plane was chased by military jets before it crashed", "Crash: Horizon DH8D at Ketron Island on Aug 10th 2018, stolen aircraft crashed into forest", "Stolen plane closes Seattle-Tacoma airport before crashing", "Oregon F-15s Scramble To Seattle To Intercept Possibly Stolen Q400 Airliner (Updated)", "F-15Cs Intercept Stolen DASH-8 Airliner out of Seattle Tacoma Airport Before Crash", "LIVE: Plane stolen from Sea-Tac Airport crashes on small island; no passengers on board", "Pilot wanted to do aerobatics, apologized for his actions as he spoke with air traffic control", "NORAD F-15Cs intercept suicidal pilot in dramatic chase near Seattle", "Passenger Plane Stolen by Employee Crashes on Island Near Seattle Airport", "Seattle hijacker's plane heist, midair stunts and fiery crash expose gaps in aviation security", "Richard Russell, 'Rich': 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know", "Airline worker who stole plane told air traffic control 'I don't want to hurt no one', "SeaTac Hijacker Had the Skills to Take Out a Skyscraper Horizon Air ground handler Richard Russell knew how to fly without tearing the plane apartand enough fuel to be a flying bomb.