The man who stole an empty plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, prompting a security scare and U.S. fighter jets to respond before he crashed it on a sparsely populated island, has been identified, according to local reports.
Richard Russell, 29, a local ground service agent who assisted baggage handlers, used a pushback tractor to maneuver a Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft for take-off around 8 p.m. on Aug. 10. Two F-15C alert aircraft were quickly dispatched to intercept the plane, seeking to redirect Russell out over the Pacific Ocean to avoid populated areas, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command.
