About this episode
Caleb @BirdRespecter (Kill The Computer, 60 Minute Drill) joins Brian and Josh to tell the story of Richard “Beebo” Russell, a man who walked off his job as a baggage handler at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport one day in 2018 to steal an airplane. Russell and his ill-fated flight quickly became a cause célèbre among some of the darkest corners of the internet, continuing to this day. This episode tries to figure out how and why that happened.
Note: This episode deals with suicide and racist extremism.
Caleb: Bluesky // Twitter // Linktree
Kill The Computer: June and Caleb talk about the ways in which internet culture spills out into the real world; good and bad. Patreon // Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Bluesky // YouTube
Media referenced this episode:
“The Sky Thief: Beebo Russell’s Last Flight” by Tim Dickinson. Rolling Stone, June 24, 2021.
“I Worked With Richard Russell at Horizon Air, and I Understand Why He Did What He Did” by Todd Bunker. The Stranger, August 17, 2018.
“‘Airplane of opportunity’? Richard Russell raised pilot’s suspicions a year before Sea-Tac plane heist” by Lewis Kamb. The Seattle Times, September 12, 2018.
“Sea-Tac air traffic controller faced ‘one in a million’ scenario with stolen plane” by Daniel Beekman and Michelle Baruchman. The Seattle Times, August 11, 2018.
“FBI: Richard Russell, who stole plane from Sea-Tac, acted alone, crashed on purpose; motive a mystery” by Lewis Kamb. The Seattle Times, November 9, 2018.
“Human remains, flight data recorder found among wreckag
