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U.S. NEWS Saturday 10 November 2018

FBI: Seattle plane thief searched online for flight videos

By SALLY HO investigation also deter- final minute of the flight
Associated Press mined Horizon Air didn't but the crash appears in-
SEATTLE (AP) — Authori- violate security regulations. tentional because Russell
ties say the Seattle airport The airline called it "a very would have had time to
ground crew worker who difficult moment for us and pull the plane back into a
stole an empty commercial many others" and said it is climb. Instead, the plane
airplane had apparently working with experts and column moved further for-
searched online for flight the government to consid- ward for six seconds before
instruction videos before er security "enhancements" the crash.
he took off on a dizzying going forward. Investigators didn't find any
ride that soon crashed into The Port of Seattle said it signs of any co-conspirators
a small island. expects its own indepen- or Russell addressing a mo-
The FBI announced Friday dent review to be finished tive for the incident, based
that it's concluding the in- by the end of the year and on its review of his text mes-
vestigation into the unau- that it has taken immediate sages, including those sent
thorized flight from Seattle- action to "improve security In this Aug. 13, 2018 file photo, a Horizon Air Q400 turboprop that night, and through in-
airplane, part of Alaska Air Group, is moved into position by air-
Tacoma International Air- and fully support the avia- port workers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in SeaTac, terviews with his co-work-
port on August 10, after de- tion employees who we Wash. ers, friends and family.
termining that 28-year-old depend upon every day." Associated Press Russell was last heard
Richard Russell of Sumner, The FBI's probe indicates cracking jokes, compli-
Washington, acted alone. that Russell arrived for work Portland, Oregon, to chase the interior and exterior of menting the professional
An FBI spokeswoman pre- that afternoon at the air- the plane. the aircraft. As part of his demeanor of an air traffic
viously noted an incorrect port without any issues. "I think I'm going to try to do duties, he also knew about controller and apologizing
age for him. By that evening, Russell a barrel roll, and if that goes the aircraft's auxiliary pow- for making a fuss in his last
Russell had worked for was on and off the Hori- good I'll go nose down and er unit, tow equipment and moments. He also told the
more than three years for zon Air Q400, a turboprop call it a night," Russell said maneuvering operations, controller he "wasn't really
Horizon Air, which is part of plane that seats 76 people, from the cockpit, accord- though he didn't appear to planning on landing" the
Alaska Air Group and flies to position it for flight. The ing to a recording of his have any formal flight train- aircraft, and he described
shorter routes throughout plane then moved away conversation with the con- ing. himself as "just a broken
the U.S. West. from its parked location troller. Investigators determined guy." The medical examin-
"The FBI found this was an around 7:30 p.m. and was The FBI said it doesn't ap- that he knew how to start er's office in its review ruled
isolated, unanticipated in- seen performing acro- pear that Russell violated up the airplane and had the death a suicide caused
cident by one individual," batic stunts before the fa- any other security mea- searched the internet for by multiple traumatic inju-
the airline said in a state- tal plunge into a thick for- sures or protocols before flight instructional videos. ries, and noted that "there
ment. It also noted that est on Ketron Island. It was the plane took off. The investigation also is sufficient evidence to
the Transportation Security trailed by two military F-15C Russell was properly cre- showed that the plane had conclude that the death
Administration's separate jets that scrambled from dentialed with access to a significant sideslip in the was intentional."q
Alaska Native summit to

bring fluent speakers together

By RACHEL D'ORO speakers of those languag- languages could become
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) es who live in the region or extinct by the century's
— An upcoming summit will who are affiliated it. end.
bring together the last re- The summit is among mul- Worl, however, said she re-
maining speakers of three tiple language revitaliza- fuses to say the languages
indigenous languages of tion efforts by the nonprofit are dying. Much work has
Alaska, organizers said Fri- organization, institute Presi- been done and is being
day. dent Rosita Worl said in a done by Native people to
Nearly 70 speakers of Tlin- phone interview. ensure their languages sur- This Jan. 18, 2018, file photo shows Sealaska Heritage Institute
git, Haida and Tsimshian The event follows a Sep- vive, she said. The summit President Rosita Worl at her office in Juneau, Alaska.
are expected to attend tember action by Gov. Bill will honor and recognize Associated Press
the three-day event in Ju- Walker, who declared an those who have held on to
neau that begins Nov. 13, emergency for Alaska Na- their languages. fluent speakers," Worl said. to retain our Native lan-
according to Sealaska Her- tive languages. The order "People might think that "I want to celebrate our flu- guages even in the face of
itage Institute officials. The was prompted by a report we are in mourning be- ent speakers. I want to cel- all of the forces to suppress
institute has counted 133 this year that warned the cause we are losing our ebrate that they were able Native languages."q