Dori’s listeners react to stolen plane, Ketron Island crash

After Dori Monson spent Monday’s Big Lead talking about the emotional reaction he had to the news that a 29-year-old man stole, flew, and crashed an empty Horizon airplane from Sea-Tac Airport in a suicide flight Friday evening, he invited his listeners to call in and share how the news impacted them.

Most of the people who called in told Dori that they appreciated his sympathy for Richard Russell, agreeing that the young man must have been battling severe mental health issues to decide to steal a plane.

RELATED: Dori shares his emotional reaction to the Sea-Tac plane theft

Chris from Seattle said through tears that he has been in a similar mental state to Russell during his past struggles with depression.

“I truly do think that there is a point where you can turn someone around, and it’s sad to listen to this guy because nobody got to do that for him,” Chris said.

Chris said that he is doing much better with his own mental health struggles, but still found it difficult to listen to Russell’s call with air traffic control.

“He’s in a totally different world up there in that airplane and he’s beyond the point of no return in his mind … and it’s hard hearing it,” Chris said.

Brandon from Algona also said that he had gone through suicidal phases in the past and could relate to much of what Russell had said. He wished that Russell had been able to find the help he needed and reminded any of Dori’s listeners who may also suffer from depression that there is always something to live for.

“You always get through it — there’s always something good at the end of that,” Brandon said.

Tony from Renton had a different take on the scenario. When he first heard on the news that there was a stolen plane flying around, he immediately feared that the plane thief was headed toward Safeco Field to attack the thousands of people attending the Pearl Jam concert in an act of terror.

“I understand people suffering with suicidal thoughts … but this is a criminal, this guy is a criminal, he stole the plane,” Tony said, pointing out that Russell could have hit the homes of innocent people and killed them.

Tony also believes that if Russell had had a foreign accent or a Muslim-sounding name, the F-15 jets that were deployed to track the stolen plane would have likely shot him down instead of letting him continue “flying around doing [barrel] rolls.”

One man from Mountlake Terrace called in with a very unique perspective — he  shares a name with Richard Russell and has worked in the airline industry. This Richard Russell said that his phone has been ringing off the hook all weekend with people thinking that it was he who stole the plane and died.

“I finally just had to turn my phone off and reflect on my own blessings,” he said.

Russell offered an answer to the previous caller as to why the fighter jets did not shoot the stolen plane down.

“I know this gentleman broke the law, but I don’t think that they took him down because it wasn’t in his voice,” he said. “His voice was confusing and [in] despair and lonely.”

If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about someone, or need support, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.