Documentarian Collaborates with Richard 'Beebo' Russell's Mother for Five Years Post-2018 Plane Theft
Gillespie has collaborated with Karen, the mother of Richard Beebo Russell, for five years to build trust following Russell's unauthorized theft and crash of a Horizon Air jet in 2018. Russell, a ground crew worker with no pilot experience, spoke casually to air traffic control during the 70-minute flight. He cited low wages and personal struggles before intentionally crashing the plane on a spars
cbsnews.com# 2018 Horizon Air Plane Theft and Crash Richard Beebo Russell, a ground crew worker for Horizon Air at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, stole a commercial jet in 2018. He used his badge access to sneak past security and performed an unauthorized take-off solo. Russell had no pilot experience.
During the flight, Russell spoke to Sea–Tac air traffic control in a friendly, casual manner. The flight audio track lasted 70 minutes. He assured air traffic control he had no intentions of hurting anyone.
Russell described himself as a broken guy with a few screws loose. He expressed regret that his loved ones would be disappointed. Russell stated he no longer wanted to live.
Russell's Statements on Wages and Motivations Russell stated he did it because of not making minimum wage and hoped it would grease the gears with the higher ups.
75 an hour. Seattle's minimum wage was $16 an hour in 2018. During the flight, Russell vomited several times. He performed a barrel roll mere feet over the Puget Sound. Russell intentionally nose-dived the plane into a sparsely populated island.
Recent Collaboration with Russell's Family Gillespie has been working with Beebo Russell's mom Karen for five years to gain her trust.
Gillespie heard the audio around the time of the incident in 2018. New York Post reported on this collaboration. The incident occurred in 2018, with Russell taking off from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport.
No injuries were reported from the crash on the island.
Story Timeline
4 events- 2023-2026
Gillespie works with Karen for five years to gain her trust
1 sourceGillespie - 2018
Gillespie hears the audio around the time of the incident
1 sourceGillespie - 2018
Richard Beebo Russell steals jet, flies for 70 minutes, performs barrel roll, and crashes on island
1 sourceunattributed - 2018
Russell speaks to air traffic control, assures no intent to hurt, cites wages and personal issues
1 sourceRichard Beebo Russell
Potential Impact
- 01
No reported injuries from the crash on sparsely populated island
- 02
Increased scrutiny on airport security badge access protocols following unauthorized takeoff
- 03
Highlight of wage disparities in aviation ground crew roles in 2018 Seattle area
- 04
Family collaboration provides insights into motivations behind aviation incidents
Transparency Panel
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