The NTSB has released its final report on the crash that occurred when two pilots tried to swap planes mid-flight as part of a television broadcast.
The plan was for Red Bull Air Force members and cousins Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington to swap Cessna 182s in mid-flight over the Arizona desert — and stream it live on Hulu.
While Aikins was able to get into Farrington’s plane and safely land, Aikins’ plane went into an inverted spin and Farrington had to parachute to safety.
Days after the accident, Aikins revealed on Instagram that he ignored an email from the FAA denying his request for an exemption for the stunt.
The FAA revoked the pilot certificates of both men.
The NTSB final report, released July 28, 2022, is short and to the point:
The accident airplane was part of an exhibition event, the goal of which was for two pilots to fly two similarly equipped airplanes in a vertical dive, after which they would simultaneously bail out and transfer to the other airplane.
The pilot of one airplane was able to successfully transfer to the other airplane and land without incident, however, the other pilot could not enter the second airplane because it entered an inverted spin shortly after egress.
The pilot reported that he believed the airplane entered a spin due to the ballast that was added to offset the weight of the safety pilot.
He added that the airplane was outfitted with a parachute system that was designed to trigger at an altitude of 1,000 ft, and deployed while the airplane was inverted, which resulted in it only being partially deployed when the airplane impacted the ground and was substantially damaged.
Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The unoccupied airplanes exceedance of the critical angle of attack which resulted in a stall, subsequent inverted spin, and impact with terrain.
You can see the full docket here. Be aware that if you click on any links in the docket, it will trigger a download to your phone, tablet, or computer.
Were these two pilots trying to out ‘Lunkin’ Martha? She received the same penalty as these two hubris filled pilots when she flew benneath a very heavily trafficed bridge. Though she didn’t ask for a waiver (then ignore a denial of prrmission by the FAA) she too knew exactly what her stunt could cost her… and did it anyway.
I wonder why the Red Bull stunt wasn’t attempted outside of US airspace and FAA jurisdiction by simply locating the swap out to sea over the Pacific Ocean the requisite miles off shore?
On one hand, I admire individuals who push the limits on what is humanly possible, but on the other hand, I doubt whether even the most accomplished pilot such as Bob Hoover would attempt or agree to such jeopardy. Flying is so unforgiving and it does not welcome the foolhardy.
You’d think following the denial they would have looked to a nation outside the U.S. to perform this stunt., after paying the right people of course.
The way they did the stunt was stupid. With a little thinking they could have realized that it would have been just as spectacular with pilots in both planes to maintain safety. They still could have bailed out and swapped aircraft.
I also think it was stupid but stunts are probably as old as humanity so can’t fully critique them for trying it.
But I wonder if it was worth loosing your pilot license to do this. How much money did they expect to make from this? Blatantly ignoring a decision by the FAA and then admitting it in public is what I think was stupid. It also prevented any action by the FAA to ensure the airspace and ground were clear during the performance of the stunt. On the Admitting part: I commend them for their honesty but I wonder if their lawyer told them to do that.
But, if it is true that the guy that read the FAA denial letter did not tell others, I question if the punishment should be as severe on others involved in this stunt. Since there was intent, I think that fines and jail time are justified in this case. At one point a way has to be found to discourage the creation of all these stupid YouTube videos that are probably not shining a positive light on GA aviation (I bet you insurance companies do watch them)
Chris
Hold my beer and watch this!!!
Unfixable stupidity, but at least they won’t be sharing airspace with any of us any more.
Now we just have to watch for their next trick – swapping motorcycles (Suzuki Hayabusa) at full speed (about 180 mph each) going in opposite directions, at night, lights out, blindfolded, facing backwards. Wonder if anyone will sell me a life insurance policy on these clowns with me as the loss payee?
I guess that proves it’s best to have a pilot in a plane when it is flying . If you’re going to do something stupid you should not tell anyone ahead of time , especially the referee.