A documentary exploring a young man's remarkable rise and tragic fall.​

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10 August 2018. Richard “Beebo” Russell, a 28-year-old ground service agent, took control of an empty passenger plane from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, flying it solo through the Washington skies for over an hour before crashing it on Ketron Island. 

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He did it all with no formal flight training.

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What followed was a media frenzy. Widespread news coverage, online tributes and thousands of social media mentions, resulting in Richard’s posthumous title: Sky King.

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But the headlines, the hashtags, they didn’t tell the devastating reality. Of a self-proclaimed ‘broken guy’ who, like so many young men today, had been fighting an unseen battle around his mental health.

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Featuring interviews with loved ones, home videos, archive news footage and the original air traffic control recordings, Sky King is a raw, heartfelt examination of the person behind the crown – and the silent struggles that can lead to such an extraordinary moment.