NTSB and FAA Investigating Failed Red Bull Plane Swap Attempt
Both Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have announced that they would be investigating the attempted Red Bull plane swap in Arizona which led to one of the aircraft crashing.
Image source: Red Bull
Red Bull, which attempted the world’s first plane swap in which two pilots and skydivers; in the swap, Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington flew their two Cessna 182s to an altitude of 14,000 feet, upon reaching this altitude they were supposed to send their aircraft into a tandem nosedive and jump out and switch aircraft. This however did not go as planned, Farrington’s aircraft entered a spin, this made it impossible for him to enter the aircraft. Aikins successfully completed his half of the swap and landed safely. Farrington was forced to deploy his parachute, he also landed safely.
Both aircraft were modified with an extensive range of equipment including speed-brakes and larger wheels to help slow the rate of descent, a custom-built autopilot system designed for vertical dives and to ensure the aircraft remained on the correct trajectories during the attempt, grab bars to help Aikins and Farrington get back into the aircraft during the dive, and a Cirrus-style airframe parachute system.
It is unclear what caused one of the 182s to spin out of control, it is also unclear where the accident aircraft crashed.
Red Bull released an edited video of the event which includes some of the key moments of the stunt, though it is four minutes out of the full multi-hour broadcast, the parachute can be seen deploying from the blue Cessna in a vertical dive the video cuts to Farrington before the aircraft impacts the ground.
Image source: Red Bull
When Red Bull asked the FAA approval for the stunt it was denied. The FAA provided its letter of denial in which it stated: “The FAA has considered the petition, and finds that granting an exemption from § 91.105(a) would not be in the public interest and cannot find that the proposed operation would not adversely affect safety. The FAA does not evaluate these deficiencies in greater detail because the petitioner does not provide a sufficient public interest case. Additionally, granting the petitioner’s request for relief would be contrary to previous denials of requests for relief from the same regulation to allow the flight crew to leave the flight deck and airplane during the operation of the airplane so as to allow the airplane to simulate a crash landing.”
They continued on to say: “Second, the FAA has determined that a grant of exemption is not in the public interest for the proposed operation. The petitioner states that he has been conducting the operation in compliance with FAA regulations by having an additional pilot on board the airplane designated as PIC while the airplane swap described in the petition for exemption occurs. Because the FAA cannot conclude that the operations for which relief is sought (i.e., an operation without a pilot in the airplane and at the controls) would not adversely affect safety, and because the petitioner can continue to perform this demonstration in compliance with FAA regulations by including an additional pilot for each airplane, there is no public interest in granting the exemption request.”
Red Bull decided to go ahead with the stunt anyways, presumably they thought that if the stunt were to be successful as planned the FAA would not investigate it.
It is important to note, Red Bull posted a detailed account including additional videos and descriptions of how the swap was supposed to work ahead of the event.
Both the NTSB and the FAA announced that they would be investigating the incident, the NTSB said a preliminary report would likely be released “within the next few weeks.”
Aviation Weekly reached out to Red Bull for comment, they have not immediately responded to the inquiry.