“I would like to apologize to each and every one of them. I’m just a broken guy. I’ve got a few screws loose I guess, I never really knew it until now.”
An airline employee stole a plane from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Friday night, attempted to perform stunts in the air, then crashed after being chased by two fighter jets, killing himself. The rogue pilot, who was named Rich in audio recorded during the incident, flew for about an hour before crashing in a wooded area on Ketron Island in Pierce County.
“I’m just a broken guy. I’ve got a few screws loose, I guess. I never really knew it until now,” the rogue pilot said to air traffic control.
The man, identified by officials as a 29-year-old “suicidal male” from Pierce County, Washington, took off with the plane around 8 p.m.
Officials on Saturday declined to name the man, but colleagues and others identified him as Richard “Beebo” Russell, a ground services agent who towed aircraft and handled baggage.
