Crazy Story Out At Sea-Tac International

Military fighters vs a Dash 8 ... they could smoke him in a second with the right okay. That right okay could be given if he looks to be a threat to say downtown Seattle ... depending on how his actions are taken.
 
I listened to the entire ATC audio of this incident. At one point, he made it apparent that he was going to perform an aerobatic maneuver with the aircraft, then nose it over and "call it a night". It's not clear if he performed an aileron roll or a loop because he mentioned doing both at different times. One witness stated that he saw the aircraft perform a loop-the-loop. There was a video shot by someone from a distance that showed what happened to the aircraft during the crash sequence. It certainly wasn't shot down as it clearly shows the aircraft flying at a low altitude straight and level and then the plane pushes over into a dive straight down. Thankfully her wasn't selfish enough to take innocent folks with him.
 
Wow. He did a barrel roll in that thing. Lost a crap ton of altitude in the process and it appears he almost hit the water and reversed direction during the recovery.

 
Thankfully he wasn't selfish enough to take innocent folks with him.
Mental illness strikes all families one way or another.
Yet the selfish bastard destroyed someone else's $32M plane (per Wiki), add the cost of military scramble, support, research and clean up teams.
He went out being known as a thieving coward.
 
Go big or go home.

What's interesting is that he had the skills to take off and fly a twin engine commercial plane. They say he was a mechanic, but don't say if the was an aircraft mechanic.
 
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They say he was a mechanic, but don't say if the was an aircraft mechanic.


That was the initial report of him being an A&P mechanic. Alaska Airlines has since stated that he was a line crewman that directed aircraft into the terminal area and also deiced aircraft.
 
Mental illness strikes all families one way or another.
Yet the selfish bastard destroyed someone else's $32M plane (per Wiki), add the cost of military scramble, support, research and clean up teams.
He went out being known as a thieving coward.

I agree. That's why I used the term "Selfish Enough". It was very selfish of him to do that to his employer and the community and all involved, especially his friends and family. The level of selfishness would have skyrocketed to epic proportions however had he took innocent lives with him.
 
I agree. That's why I used the term "Selfish Enough". It was very selfish of him to do that to his employer and the community and all involved, especially his friends and family. The level of selfishness would have skyrocketed to epic proportions however had he took innocent lives with him.
Yup, it would have moved into the territory of pure evil.
 
I imagine some folk or folks at sea-Tac are going to be looking for jobs shortly.

On a side note I bet some certain individuals with extreme beliefs are taking notes.
 
That son of a gun could fly a plane though that is a crazy feat.
Taking off is easy, you look at the checklist, startup procedure, set control surfaces and go, he had no clearance to take off,
you can use Flight Simulator to fly real aircraft, landing is the real problem, that is difficult without training.

You can learn how to startup a Cessna Citation by watching youtube.

Better security is needed, would be easy for radical terrorists to plane jack a ups or fedex jet.
 
Taking off is easy, you look at the checklist, startup procedure, set control surfaces and go, he had no clearance to take off,
you can use Flight Simulator to fly real aircraft, landing is the real problem, that is difficult without training.

You can learn how to startup a Cessna Citation by watching youtube.

Better security is needed, would be easy for radical terrorists to plane jack a ups or fedex jet.
When I learned to fly, oh so many years ago, I always thought it was funny how every plane had a handy instruction manual under the console that went over the operation of the plane.
 
Perhaps we need 'common sense' aircraft safety laws?;)
 
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Perhaps we need 'common sense' aircraft safety laws?
I really hate how they parade that term out like the emperor's new clothes. Surely, you you understand it, it's common sense. If you had any common sense you'd understand.
Well, common sense isn't so common and it doesn't always make sense. And who's common sense are we talking about anyway? Because, we all have different backgrounds and value structures.
 
That was the initial report of him being an A&P mechanic. Alaska Airlines has since stated that he was a line crewman that directed aircraft into the terminal area and also deiced aircraft.

Wouldn’t you think he was an A&P guy? How would he know the startup checklist unless you can find it step by step on YouTube, which I doubt.

I’m not questioning you, just the story.


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When I learned to fly, oh so many years ago, I always thought it was funny how every plane had a handy instruction manual under the console that went over the operation of the plane.

But you still need to be able to find all the knobs n switches, etc.


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But you still need to be able to find all the knobs n switches, etc.
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Yeah, I don't think this was a casual spur of the moment thing, or nearly as easy as some people are making it out to be.
 
Wouldn’t you think he was an A&P guy? How would he know the startup checklist unless you can find it step by step on YouTube, which I doubt.

I’m not questioning you, just the story.


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If I was a betting man, I would say the investigators will find out that he was regularly flying a Dash-8 on a computer flight simulator, such as a later version of Microsoft Flight Simulator or something similar.

You would be surprised at how detailed and accurate and interactive the cockpits are and also how accurate the startup, taxiing, takeoff, cruise, descent and landing procedures are with those simulators.

It will be interesting to read the final Probable Cause report from the NTSB in a couple of years or so.

Edit to add:

I found it interesting that he was surprised at the rate of fuel consumption he noticed while talking to ATC. He seemed to think that 3000 lbs of fuel was enough for him to fly around a long time.

If my flight simulator theory is correct, then that possibly tells me that when he flew the simulator, he could have been doing so with an unlimited fuel setting.

Also, he may have never paid attention to how many pounds of fuel would be evident if the tanks were topped off or filled to the capacity that proper weight and balance would allow.

Not to mention that he could have advanced the throttles to maximum power at takeoff and left them there and who knows how the props we're configured.

Also, I don't think his altitude was ever near the cruise altitude of that aircraft so I would think that would have a negative effect on the fuel consumption that he was surprised to observe.
 
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If I was a betting man, I would say the investigators will find out that he was regularly flying a Dash-8 on a computer flight simulator, such as a later version of Microsoft Flight Simulator or something similar.

You would be surprised at how detailed and accurate and interactive the cockpits are and also how accurate the startup, taxiing, takeoff, cruise, descent and landing procedures are with those simulators.

It will be interesting to read the final Probable Cause report from the NTSB in a couple of years or so.

Edit to add:

I found it interesting that he was surprised at the rate of fuel consumption he noticed while talking to ATC. He seemed to think that 3000 lbs of fuel was enough for him to fly around a long time.

If my flight simulator theory is correct, then that possibly tells me that when he flew the simulator, he could have been doing so with an unlimited fuel setting.

Also, he may have never paid attention to how many pounds of fuel would be evident if the tanks were topped off or filled to the capacity that proper weight and balance would allow.

Not to mention that he could have advanced the throttles to maximum power at takeoff and left them there and who knows how the props we're configured.

Also, I don't think his altitude was ever near the cruise altitude of that aircraft so I would think that would have a negative effect on the fuel consumption that he was surprised to observe.

Not to mention for someone who’s likely never piloted an AC let alone done aerobatics...


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Here's a take from a retired airline pilot:

https://myfox8.com/2018/08/12/pilot-its-shockingly-easy-for-an-airline-employee-to-steal-a-plane/


"That’s why this event is so incredibly disturbing. It’s obvious that Russell had more than basic knowledge of not only flying airplanes, but specifically of the Q-400. Not only did he manage to take off, but he also performed basic aerobatic maneuvers.


Where did he obtain such knowledge? It’s pure speculation at this point, but the possibility that he gained experience on a desktop simulator would make the scenario plausible. During the recorded transcript, he made quick reference to having played “video games.”


Are you scoffing at the notion? Well, it just so happens that a very passionate group of hobbyists partake in “fake airplane” flying. The sophistication of the simulation is only restricted by the amount of money one is willing to spend. The computer programs offer virtual experiences in everything from Piper Cubs to Boeing 777s.


The simulator itself can involve just a desktop screen and a mouse or a full-blown stick and rudder device. In addition, a subscription can be obtained from various online companies that provide air traffic controllers, interacting in real time as though the simulated flight was an actual trip."
 
My wife used to work with a guy that was into airplane simulation games. This was probably 15-20 years ago and even then he had quite an extensive set up. He had what looked like to me to be a very authentic cockpit going on. I can only imagine what is available now.
 
My wife used to work with a guy that was into airplane simulation games. This was probably 15-20 years ago and even then he had quite an extensive set up. He had what looked like to me to be a very authentic cockpit going on. I can only imagine what is available now.

My 17 year old son started flying desktop simulators when he was around 5. He still flies on DCS and Microsoft Flight Simulator. Of course, he's also been taking flying lessons since he was 12. When he went on his first discovery flight at the airport, his instructor, whom I've known since 1991, walked over after they landed and was flabbergasted at how well he handled the airplane. I told her that he probably had over 500 hours on Microsoft's FS. She replied, "Ah... That explains it."
 
My 17 year old son started flying desktop simulators when he was around 5. He still flies on DCS and Microsoft Flight Simulator. Of course, he's also been taking flying lessons since he was 12. When he went on his first discovery flight at the airport, his instructor, whom I've known since 1991, walked over after they landed and was flabbergasted at how well he handled the airplane. I told her that he probably had over 500 hours on Microsoft's FS. She replied, "Ah... That explains it."

I saw an interview once with one of the Military's Pyschologists that helped analyze and set up trainings and howmto get decent people to handle killing humans. Computer simulators were something he mentioned that works very well. He even said gangs use shooting simulators to help teach young kids to shoot at a basic level. I guess it is all like dry fire practice. Get the basic mechanics perfected and the hard stuff becomes easier.
 
Falcon 4.0 was the epitome of realistic flight sims, and it's for the daggum F-16! I tried the game, but gave up because it was too realistic! You had to know the checklists and startup procedures, etc...there was no hoping in and killing bad guys within a minute or two.

 
When Microsoft decided Flight Sinulator wasn’t going to be a money maker for them anymore they eventually sold the assets to Lockheed Martin who uses it for training pilots.

A good flight sim is more of a training tool than a game in the traditional sense. I struggle to think of another task that can be simulated so well in a game but maybe VR will get there one day.
 
Falcon 4.0 was the epitome of realistic flight sims, and it's for the daggum F-16! I tried the game, but gave up because it was too realistic! You had to know the checklists and startup procedures, etc...there was no hoping in and killing bad guys within a minute or two.



You should watch my son fly on DCS with his Oculus Rift VR headset. It's actually incredible. I never had Falcon 4.0 but I did have Falcon 3.0 so I know what you mean. The user manual for Falcon 3.0 was about 2 inches thick. My son flies a variety of aircraft on DCS including F/A-18s, F-15s, and numerous other historic aircraft. The cockpits are incredibly realistic, as real as you can get without revealing classified information. All of the switches, buttons, knobs, gauges, handles, circuit breakers, etc..... everything in the cockpit is as functional as it is in a real aircraft.

One of these days I'll sit down, put the VR headset on, grab hold of the throttle and stick, and leave reality behind as I fly off into a virtual world.:)
 
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My 17 year old son started flying desktop simulators when he was around 5. He still flies on DCS and Microsoft Flight Simulator. Of course, he's also been taking flying lessons since he was 12. When he went on his first discovery flight at the airport, his instructor, whom I've known since 1991, walked over after they landed and was flabbergasted at how well he handled the airplane. I told her that he probably had over 500 hours on Microsoft's FS. She replied, "Ah... That explains it."

Back when I was a teenager, I played a lot of flight Sims.

Falcon 4.0, MFS, Chuck Yeagar's Air Combat, Fleet Defender.

We went to visit my uncle at Pax River NAS and got to play with the Osprey simulator back when it was still in development (uncle is a aerospace engineer).

After playing around a bit, he stepped out to run the thing from the booth and give us a good run for our money.

Engine fires, engine failures, instrument failures, ground fire, etc.

Didn't crash or get shot down. Landed, took off (S/VTOL and regularly), nap of the earth flying in canyons, etc.

His only comment was "you obviously play too much flight simulator."

Said the same a few years later when I for a check ride in a Navy T-34B Mentor and got to play aerobatics and make mock ground attack runs, fly in formation with my grandfather's 172.

Good stuff. I think I need to check out this Occulus stuff.
 
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Falcon 4.0, MFS, Chuck Yeagar's Air Combat, Fleet Defender.

I remember Yeager's Air Combat. That was a great air combat sim in it's time. I played and flew that simulator for a long time.

Side note: My wife, then girlfriend, and I met Chuck Yeager one day back in the early to mid-'80's. It was the day before the dedication ceremony renaming the Kanawha airport to Yeager airport up in Charleston WV.

After the ceremony the next day, there was a celebration at some fancy club that evening. My wife's Dad and his family were invited because he was a big wig at a bank up there. During a book signing of his first book, Yeager saw my future wife standing amongst the crowd and recognized her from the previous day when we first met him.

He called her up and autographed two of his books for her in front of all of the cameras. She has one book and my Dad has the other. The next morning, Sunday morning, the front page of the Charleston Gazette had a huge full color picture of my wife Susan standing there while Yeager was signing her books.

Yeager is one of those guys from yesteryear that could keep you pinned to a chair with his historic stories that he could tell.
 
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