Airline worker Richard “Beebo” Russell had no pilot license and no known flight training. But on August 10, 2018, he managed to steer a $33 million plane into the Pacific Northwest sky, sparking both fear and fascination.
Russell’s tragic flight—which ended in a fatal crash—is the subject of the documentary, #SkyKing: Panic in the Sky. Streaming on Hulu starting Tuesday, April 14, the project features new interviews with friends and family of Russell, 28 at the time of his death, along with never-before-seen audio and video footage from the shocking incident.
Almost eight years later, why Russell—described by a friend as “happy-go-lucky”—brazenly took control of the plane remains a mystery. Here is what we know about him and the details of his accident.
Who Was Richard Russell?
Russell was born in Key West, Florida, on September 19, 1989. When he was 7 years old, he moved to Wasilla, Alaska, according to a personal blog he created for a collegiate communications class. His friends and family knew him by his nickname, “Beebo.”
Russell was a standout athlete at Wasilla High School, where he played football, wrestled, and competed as a thrower in track and field. “He had that energy, that vibrance,” his former track coach Gary Howell told the Anchorage Daily News. “He was that kid you high-five in the hallway even if you don’t know him.” Russell graduated in 2008 and briefly attended Valley City State University in North Dakota.
In 2010, he met his wife, Hannah, in Oregon. The couple married the following year and opened a bakery, which they operated for three years. Around 2015, they moved to Sumner, Washington, and Russell began working for Horizon Airlines—with his position allowing him to fly to Alaska whenever he wished to see his family. On his personal blog, he wrote that he hoped to earn a bachelor’s degree in social sciences and either seek a management position with the airline or join the military.
Although he worked in aviation, Russell had no formal pilot training or pilot license—making his takeoff and fatal flight all the more shocking.
How Did Richard Russell Steal an Airplane?
Russell worked as a ground service agent at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; his duties included handling baggage, de-icing aircrafts, and towing and pushing planes for takeoff and gate approach, according to CBS News.
On August 10, 2018, Russell used a tractor to rotate an empty Bombardier Q400 plane, parked in the cargo and maintenance area, toward a runway and took control of the plane.
Although the aircraft didn’t require a key, it needed particular sequence of switches and buttons to operate. Some experts hypothesized Russell may have learned the controls from towing planes—which requires one agent in the cockpit—or using flight simulators, according to The Seattle Times.
“I’ve played video games before,” Russell said during an exchange with air traffic control. “I know what I’m doing a little bit.”
What Happened During Richard Russell’s Flight?
In any case, Russell was able to take off and fly the plane for around 71 minutes, traveling west toward the Olympic Mountains and performing maneuvers including a barrel roll.
During his flight, Russell maintained contact with air traffic control and expressed remorse for his act. “I’ve got a lot of people that care about me, and it’s going to disappoint them to hear that I did this,” he remarked. “I would like to apologize to each and every one of them. Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose I guess. Never really knew it until now.”
Russell was also heard monitoring the plane’s rate of fuel consumption as agents attempt to find clear runway space to attempt a landing. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) even ordered two F-15 Eagles from the Portland Air National Guard Base to intercept the plane. However, they did not shoot at Russell’s aircraft.
Ultimately, Russell admitted he “wasn’t really planning on landing” the plane. The aircraft crashed around 8:46 p.m. on Ketron Island in the Puget Sound, killing Russell.
What Was Richard Russell’s Motive?
The official FBI report of the incident listed Russell’s cause of death as “multiple traumatic injuries due to airplane crash and the manner of death as suicide.” A medical examiner’s office similarly determined there was enough evidence to deem his death “intentional.”
However, it is still unclear what propelled the seemingly affable Russell to take such tragic actions. Russell had no history of diagnosed mental illness.
The FBI concluded that interviews with friends, family, and colleagues of Russell “did not identify any information that would suggest the theft of the aircraft was related to wider criminal activity or terrorist ideology.”
At one point during his flight, Russell made a remark hinting at financial stress from his job: “Minimum wage, we’ll chalk it up to that. Maybe that will grease some gears a little bit with the higher-ups.”
Multiple co-workers of Russell described the environment as understaffed and grueling. “He was going to show them that they pushed a good guy to his limits,” one bluntly said, according to KING-TV in Seattle. However, there is no evidence Russell truly felt this way.
Shortly after the incident, Zachary Orr, a childhood friend, didn’t rule out a medical explanation. He told KING-TV he and Russell had spoken about the head injuries they suffered while playing football and suggested Russell may have been experiencing symptoms of the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
“But CTE, it’s notorious that the onset of symptoms it takes about 10 years to set in,” Orr added.
Why Is Richard Russell Known as “Sky King”?
Despite the obvious danger and tragic result, Russell’s hijacking stunt quickly became the subject of internet fodder.
A witness named John Waldron captured cell phone footage of Russell’s diving barrel roll and sold the rights. “I saw him start to flip the plane and got my camera out. There’s no way that plane was designed to put up with those G-forces. He was just 100 feet above the water coming out of that loop,” Waldron told the Boston Herald.
Although Waldron hoped the footage would give closure to Russell’s family, it quickly circulated on message boards. Many who watched the stunt connected with Russell’s apparent bravery in his final moments and began calling him “Sky King.” Russell even has his own entry on the popular internet database Know Your Meme.
The documentary’s logline hints at an exploration of this unlikely reaction, mentioning how Russell’s story came to “embody the hopes, dreams, and despair of the American working class.”
Watch #SkyKing on Hulu Starting April 14
#SkyKing: Panic in the Sky begins streaming Tuesday, April 14, on Hulu and for Hulu on Disney+ bundle subscribers. The documentary is directed by Patricia E. Gillespie.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
