How 2018’s Q400 Tragedy Changed the CFI Perspective

The anniversary of the intentional crash serves as a reminder to one CFI to keep her guard up.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, August 10, 2022 at 03:25 PM ET

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A Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

In 2018, a Horizon Air ground service agent stole a Bombardier Q400 from Sea-Tac, flying it for 75 minutes before intentionally crashing, an event that deeply impacted the local community and highlighted aviation security vulnerabilities.
The incident prompted flight instructors (CFIs) to discuss cockpit security and personal defense, revealing the impracticality of carrying weapons in the close quarters of small aircraft.
The article emphasizes the importance of mandatory TSA General Aviation Security Awareness training, which teaches flight school personnel to identify and report potential security threats.
The author successfully utilized this training by identifying and reporting two suspicious individuals with fake IDs and large cash attempting to coerce an immediate solo flight, who were later revealed to be on an FBI watch list.

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On August 10, 2018, 29-year-old Richard Russell, a Horizon Air ground service agent with no pilot experience, stole a Bombardier Q400 from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (KSEA) and went on a 75-minute joy ride. You may have seen the video of the Q400 doing loops and barrel rolls over the Puget Sound. The joy ride ended with an intentional crash on Ketron Island, a 221-acre heavily wooded and fortunately, sparsely populated location west of the town of Steilacoom, Washington.

Russell was the only fatality in the crash and there was no damage to homes from the fire that followed.