The baggage handler who stole the plane from the tarmac died in the crash. No one on the tarmac took notice when 29-year-old Richard Russell towed the Alaska Airlines Q400 into position at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Russell walked through security at the airport a few hours before he was able to get onto the plane. He probably didn't raise any flags because he was an employee. He was wearing a shirt that said "The Sky's No Limit" A bystander recorded the aftermath of Russell's crash after he taxied the plane and took off. The FBI concluded that the incident was a suicide. A conversation between Russell and air traffic control, first released by The Seattle Times, reveals he wasn't well-versed in the specifics of flying. Russell told air traffic control that he wasn't ready to bring the plane down just yet, but that the fuel level was dropping faster than expected.
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