Here is the plane that was stolen. The amateur ‘pilot’ could start up the plane, and showed considerable skill piloting it. It seems he acquired piloting skills through playing a flight simulator video game. He is not known to have had any formal pilot training. [Graphic from The Seattle Times]By Saturday morning the fire of Friday night’s plane crash on Ketron Island had been put out. It was hard to get to the wreckage and the fire, but a little rain fell on Friday and the fire did not spread.
By Sunday evening the remains of the young man (Richard Russell, 29 years old), as well as the flight recorder, had been retrieved from the crash site.
The early take is that depression over financial troubles, was a major factor in the tragedy.
Here is the airport layout, and the location of Ketron Island. One of the F15 jet pilots tried to persuade Russell to land at McChord Air Force Base, but to no avail. [Source: The Seattle Times]
