‘Broken Man’ Who Stole an Airplane: Inside the ‘#SKYKING’ Tragedy

New documentary uses previously unreleased audio and emotional family interviews to explore the mental health crisis that led to hijacking in 2018.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, April 20, 2026 at 03:05 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

In 2018, Horizon Air ramp agent Richard Russell, despite having no pilot experience, stole a de Havilland Dash 8-400 from Sea-Tac, took it for a 75-minute flight including a barrel roll, and intentionally crashed on Ketron Island, dying in the process.
The new documentary "#SKYKING" explores this incident through interviews with Russell's family and friends, revealing previously unreleased ATC audio and focusing on his declining mental health.
The film delves into Russell's background, including financial struggles, job dissatisfaction, alleged mistreatment by management, and a denied promotion, which his family and friends believe contributed to his emotional breakdown.
The documentary also addresses the public's reaction to Russell becoming a "folk hero" and the politicization of his story, a portrayal that his family disputes.

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On August 10, 2018, a ramp agent for Horizon Air at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (KSEA) who had zero pilot experience stole an empty de Havilland Dash 8-400 and took it for a one-hour-and-15-minute joy ride around southwestern Washington state.

All the while he talked with an air traffic controller (ATC) and an experienced Q400 pilot, both of whom tried to get him to land the aircraft. Instead, the pilot, 29-year-old Richard “Beebo” Russell, performed a barrel roll then ended the flight with an intentional crash on a sparsely populated, heavily forested island west of Tacoma.