Failed plane-swap stunt prompts FAA investigation

[Sparc343]

So, this just happened near me! Too bad I didn't know it was "going down" or I would've went to spectate! Sadly, I was out shopping...

Anyway, I guess two Red Bull pilots attempted a "plane swap" that was only partially "successful". One end of the swap went as planned, as where one plane spiraled down to it's crash into the ground, and the pilot safely landed via his parachute.

Guess the FAA will be investigating this since allegedly all the necessary 'permission' was Not obtained in advance...

Failed plane-swap stunt prompts FAA investigation

The pilots attempted to swap planes mid-flight, leave both aircraft unmanned for a period of time, and one of the planes crashed.

abcnews.go.com

 

[Sparc343]

FAA Investigating Failed Red Bull Airplane Swap - FLYING Magazine

Agency says it had denied organizers’ request for permission to perform the stunt.

www.flyingmag.com

This one is probably better coverage... I'm guessing ...

 

[zocalo]

Saw this on the UK news last night - totally unbelievable that they would do this without the neccessary approvals in place. Especially since this is coming only a few weeks after the FAA revoked the pilot license of a Youtube "star" that they ruled had deliberately jumped out of a plane and allowed it to crash so he could film it all for his channel, I don't think this is looking good for them. OK, they had safety measures in place that worked to save both pilots and (supposedly) the aircraft, but from the footage I saw this stunt could have gone badly/fatally wrong in *sooo* many ways.

Red Bull sponsors some pretty cool stuff but, quite frankly, I think they're now suffering from the same issues that many Youtube channels have - they feel they need to continually top what they did before, and that has now crossed the line where they've gone from cool to reckless. I get that risk is a big part of what they do, but they've already had stunts go badly wrong resulting in injuries and fatalities; perhaps it's time to take a step back and reassess just how much safeguarding they ought to insist be in place? Clicks are not worth dying for, and if Red Bull is going to continue to be associated with this kind of thing then they need to to take more responsibility as well.

The question I have is how much was Red Bull aware of all this, and how much actual involvement in the planning and execution of the stunts they sponsor do they have? If the pilots did this on their own that's one thing, but if it can be shown that Red Bull knew that permits were not in place and didn't tell the pilots that was a prerequisite, let alone let the pilots proceed with the stunt anyway, then the FAA is probably going to be throwing the book at them, and quite rightly IMHO.

 

[Sparc343]

I completely understand and relate to much of your post. Hopefully they only punish those truly to blame though. For example, if red bull knew it was not approved, but they never told the pilots, then I hope only red bull is punished! Although I'm sure some will/can say even the pilots should've known better, I think it would really suck to lose their licenses/certifications unless they're really part of the 'fault'.

Another note I can add, if there is anywhere "safe" to do something like this, Eloy, AZ would *definitely* be one of those "safe" places to do it. I actually recently bought my property here and we actually have a pilot that lives in the "subdivision" that flys for/with red bull (not one of the two involved in this occurrence), who has his own airstrip and hangar on his property (right next to his house). We've often seen him out "practicing" some pretty "sick" stunt flying, and my oh my is that a sight to watch! Watching him twist 'n turn, fly upside down, and even go up at 90° - stall and free fall backwards! Some of their pilots certainly have skills, and a lot of them (along with cajones)!

I literally drove by where they were staging, wondering what was going on with all the cars since there are never that many cars out here. Then I saw the red bull tent and aircrafts and thought it may have even had something to do with the neighbor. Continued about my shopping not knowing what was coming. Which brings me to another thought. If nothing went wrong at all, they probably wouldn't even be in any potential trouble. It's reminiscent of the law regarding leaving children home alone and age. In Illinois the statues specifically don't mention an age. So basically, if you leave an 8 year old kid alone for 4 hours and nothing happens, nobody cares. But if you leave an 8 year old alone for even a mere 30 minutes and they burn the house down, someone is going to be in trouble! Similarly to speed limits. If you speed but nothing comes of it, you won't be in much of any 'trouble'. However, if you're speeding and cause a fatal collision, you're facing some serious issues when they determine you were speeding!

So basically, I guess, I do believe some 'punishment' is necessary; but I also don't think they necessarily need "the book 'thrown at them'".

 

[zocalo]

Severity of punishments, and who gets what, definitely needs to depend on whatever circumstances are determined by the FAA's investigation - no question on that. To be clear though, the "book throwing" comment was aimed more specifically at Red Bull, assuming that they were indeed aware of the issue with the permits and allowed things to proceed anyway, as they should have had oversight of everything, if only to protect their reputation if it had all gone horribly wrong.

That there were so many cars there and all the Red Bull tents means that Red Bull was almost certainly directly involved; it's clearly not just a case of "here's some money - make sure our logo is prominent when you film the stunt". That alone probably absolves the pilots to *some* degree as Red Bull absolutely should have checked all the paperwork was in place and valid if they were supervising. If Red Bull failed to do that, at least in the UK/EU, then that's a pretty serious duty of care issue and they'd probably be looking at courts and, potentially, a fine. YMMV in the US legal system, of course.

Ultimately though, there's no getting around the golden rule that the ultimate responsibility for safe operation of an aircraft lies with the pilots. Both pilots and Red Bull should have known that they didn't have the necessary permissions for this, and both could (and should!) have nixed the flight, so I don't think there's much chance the pilots are walking away from this without some form of punishement either and, realistically, that's going to be some form of fine and/or revocation/suspension of license.

 

[DoomMeister]

There were two different Pilots in Command. The PIC is the person responsible for the flight and any permits, special clearances, etc. There is no way they will not be held accountable. Red Bull may have culpability, but it is still primarily an onus on the pilots.

 

[BigAl07]

This one has some of the video in it :

Video: Red Bull Plane Swap Stunt Ends With Crash in Arizona

A pair of pilots attempted to skydive into each other’s planes mid-flight in a stunt that went awry over the Arizona desert on Sunday.

www.nbclosangeles.com

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Did anyone else think it came near to diced pilot/cameraman at one point?

 

[zeusfl]

WOW that is crazy.

 

[Gagey52]

Like they say, God protects drunks and fools.

 

[MS Coast]

Yet another example of the LOOK AT ME!, LOOK AT ME! problem that most teenage males leave behind as they mature.

 

[CorralesDan]

These are the guys whose gravestones someday will say, "Hey, Bubba, watch this!"

 

[zocalo]

There were two different Pilots in Command. The PIC is the person responsible for the flight and any permits, special clearances, etc. There is no way they will not be held accountable. Red Bull may have culpability, but it is still primarily an onus on the pilots.

That's my take too; a pilot always has ultimate responsibility for the safe operation of an aircraft, and any failure on that front that comes to the attention of a regulator is absolutely going to have consequences. Red Bull may have helped with permit applications and the like, provided logistical support, etc., but the final arbitor of a flight going ahead or not has to lie with the pilots. If they can handle the pressure of doing a stunt like this, then surely then can handle the pressure of saying "no, we're not doing this today".

Red Bull should have checked, and therefore known, that the permits were not in place and vetoed this going ahead. The pilots should absolutely have known and done the same. Ultimately, I think they're all going to get held to account here, and the only potential mitigation I can see would be if one side misled the other about permits and that can be proven. If they did this knowing full well that the permits were not in place (and it's *very* hard to believe they didn't, given the FAA claims to have explicitly told them not to proceed), then I don't think anyone ought to be surprised if the FAA revokes licenses and takes a very dim view of any future applications to undertake aerial stunts from Red Bull.

 

[tommytavor]

The desert is a fun place to be. AND lots of bad things happen out there also. What happens in the desert should stay in the desert. This shouldn't have made the news until they were successful or someone got hurt.

 

[66427cobra]

Two excellent candidates for the Darwin Awards.

 

[MS Coast]

F.A.A. Revokes Pilot Licenses After Midair Plane-Swapping Stunt​

F.A.A. Revokes Pilot Licenses After Midair Plane-Swapping Stunt

Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington, pilots who attempted a Red Bull-organized stunt that ended in a crash, must surrender their certifications, the Federal Aviation Administration said on Tuesday.

www.nytimes.com

"The Federal Aviation Administration has revoked the licenses of two pilots who attempted to swap planes in midair over the Arizona desert last month, calling their actions in the stunt, in which one plane crashed, “reckless” and “egregious.”

In addition to the revocation order, dated Tuesday, the F.A.A. also fined Luke Aikins, whom the agency called the lead pilot, $4,932 for abandoning his pilot seat and operating his plane in a “careless and reckless” manner, after an investigation announced shortly after the April 24 stunt."

(article continues)

Considering that they did this after being specifically denied an exemption from the FAA to perform the stunt, I'd say they got off easy.

 

[Chip]

F.A.A. Revokes Pilot Licenses After Midair Plane-Swapping Stunt​

F.A.A. Revokes Pilot Licenses After Midair Plane-Swapping Stunt

Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington, pilots who attempted a Red Bull-organized stunt that ended in a crash, must surrender their certifications, the Federal Aviation Administration said on Tuesday.

www.nytimes.com

"The Federal Aviation Administration has revoked the licenses of two pilots who attempted to swap planes in midair over the Arizona desert last month, calling their actions in the stunt, in which one plane crashed, “reckless” and “egregious.”

In addition to the revocation order, dated Tuesday, the F.A.A. also fined Luke Aikins, whom the agency called the lead pilot, $4,932 for abandoning his pilot seat and operating his plane in a “careless and reckless” manner, after an investigation announced shortly after the April 24 stunt."

(article continues)

Considering that they did this after being specifically denied an exemption from the FAA to perform the stunt, I'd say they got off easy.

Yes, incredibly easy. Letting an airplane crash and spew gas and oil all over the place is like a parking ticket.

 

[Daytona500]

and how does this effect the drone community?

 

[Kywon McCain]

Had bad feeling something would happen when I first heard about them
Doing stuff like that

 

[AZDave]

The desert is a fun place to be. AND lots of bad things happen out there also. What happens in the desert should stay in the desert. This shouldn't have made the news until they were successful or someone got hurt.

That's a dumb take. So if you're out hiking in the desert and somebody shoots at you a couple of times but misses, you're going to just keep it to yourself and not report it?