Richard russell seatac plane crash

[TAW122]

There is a guy earlier this year who crashed a plane into a secluded forest. I don't approve of actually doing that, but it is interesting to see that some people go to extreme lengths to actually ctb. I don't really know if he felt pain when he dived into the barren forest, away from other humans, or if he went unconscious right on impact.

Nevertheless, the thing is that he didn't take anyone out with him, nor did he hurt anybody. All he did was damage an expensive hardware, which is an airplane. It seemed like he literally went out with a literal blaze of glory, where he died while his plane turned into a scrap heap of ruins with smoldering flames and smoke rising from the wreckage.

Also, the audio recording of him talking to the air traffic controller seems like he was very ready to die and pretty relaxed, calm.

 

[TiredHorse]

That was just north of me; I've sailed past the crash site a number of times. As newsworthy events go it was impressive as all hell --especially to us pilots-- but not in a good way. He came way too close killing a lot of other people besides himself. It's one thing to end yourself, that's your choice; it is not okay to take that choice from others.

 

[TAW122]

That was just north of me; I've sailed past the crash site a number of times. As newsworthy events go it was impressive as all hell --especially to us pilots-- but not in a good way. He came way too close killing a lot of other people besides himself. It's one thing to end yourself, that's your choice; it is not okay to take that choice from others.

I agree and what could he have done to avoid close calls with others? (I'm not an expert on aviation or flying) Would it have been safer if he just went directly to the open ocean and crashed in that instead?

 

[Smilla]

I am not familiar with the terrain near Seattle—was it a lucky happenstance that he crashed in a forest with no homes? Did he deliberately crash there?

I've listened to the ATC recording, and can't grasp why he didn't just fly out to sea.

 

[Smilla]

I agree and what could he have done to avoid close calls with others? (I'm not an expert on aviation or flying) Would it have been safer if he just went directly to the open ocean and crashed in that instead?

Would have been best for everyone to fly into the ocean—for his own (potential)survival too and the sake of others, which would be most important or more important. IMO if you are suicidal you don't have the right to take others with you—ever.


It's clear from the audio that atc wanted him to fly into the ocean after he refused to attempt a landing at a nearby Air Force base.

 

[Smilla]

That was just north of me; I've sailed past the crash site a number of times. As newsworthy events go it was impressive as all hell --especially to us pilots-- but not in a good way. He came way too close killing a lot of other people besides himself. It's one thing to end yourself, that's your choice; it is not okay to take that choice from others.

Completely agree.

 

[TiredHorse]

The biggest problem, as I see it, is that he started grandstanding --sightseeing around the Sound, performing a loop (in an airplane not engineered for it)-- over a populated area. Could he have just flown out to sea? Maybe; I haven't run the numbers to see how long he was in the air and how long it would have taken him to climb to altitude, cross the Olympic peninsula, and get out to sea. The point is that he decided to turn his sucide not just into a public performance, but into a performance that endangered the public.

Then there's the fact he stole and destroyed a very expensive piece of equipment that wasn't his to destroy, and started a forest fire on land that wasn't his --on an island without a fire department, no less-- and added to the enviromental impact in an area already suffering from too much of that.

I cannot respect anything about what he did. Yeah, okay, he needed to end his life, but he did more damage than he needed, endangered others, and made his exit into the selfish, high profile act that gives the rest of us such bad press.

 

[Strumgewehr]

There is a guy earlier this year who crashed a plane into a secluded forest. I don't approve of actually doing that, but it is interesting to see that some people go to extreme lengths to actually ctb. I don't really know if he felt pain when he dived into the barren forest, away from other humans, or if he went unconscious right on impact.

Nevertheless, the thing is that he didn't take anyone out with him, nor did he hurt anybody. All he did was damage an expensive hardware, which is an airplane. It seemed like he literally went out with a literal blaze of glory, where he died while his plane turned into a scrap heap of ruins with smoldering flames and smoke rising from the wreckage.

Also, the audio recording of him talking to the air traffic controller seems like he was very ready to die and pretty relaxed, calm.

Thanks for the link. Really enjoyed the conversation.