FAA Investigating Failed Red Bull Airplane Swap

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

Monday, April 25, 2022 at 10:15 AM ET

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Pilot Luke Aikins is seen successfully entering the silver airplane, during Plane Swap in Eloy, Arizona, on April 24, 2022. [Photo: Predrag Vuckovic / Red Bull Content Pool]

Key Takeaways:

The Red Bull Plane Swap attempt failed when one of the two Cessna 182 aircraft spun out of control and crashed, preventing one pilot from re-entering it.
The FAA had previously denied an exemption for the stunt and announced an investigation into the incident.
One pilot successfully completed his half of the swap and landed the plane, while the other had to deploy his parachute, with no injuries reported from the crash.

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Sunday’s vigorously promoted Red Bull Plane Swap missed the mark in more ways than one. Not only did the swap fail, but the maneuver and resulting aircraft crash irked the FAA, which said it “will investigate Sunday evenings attempted Red Bull Plane Swap in Arizona.”

The agency also said that on Friday it “denied the organizer’s request for an exemption from Federal regulations that cover the safe operation of an aircraft.”