A plane crashed in the Arizona desert when a plane-swap stunt, in which two pilots tried to switch planes midair, went wrong.
There were no injuries sustained and pilots Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington were able to touch down safely following the failed Red Bull stunt, which was touted as a "world first" aviation feat, according to NBC News.
The plan was for Aikins and Farrington to send their Cessna 182 planes into a tandem nosedive at 14,000 feet. They would then jump out and skydive to 2,000 feet above ground level before getting into the other plane and flying up.
Each aircraft featured a custom-built autopilot system "to ensure they stay on the correct trajectory" and were fitted with a speed brake and larger-than-standard wheels to help create more drag and slow the rate of descent and "ensure the skydivers can catch up to them," according to Red Bull. However, one of the planes spun out of control.
"One of the two single-engine Cessna 182 aircraft used in the stunt crashed after it spun out of control," the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement to NBC News. The pilot was able to land safely by parachute, the outlet noted.
Meanwhile, "the other pilot regained control of the second aircraft and landed safely," the FAA said in a statement.
"The FAA will investigate Sunday evening's attempted Red Bull Plane Swap in Arizona," the statement continued. "The agency on Friday denied the organizer's request for an exemption from Federal regulations that cover the safe operation of an aircraft."
A copy of the FAA's denial of exemption letter, which was obtained by NBC News, shows that it was dated Friday and signed by the agency's deputy executive director for flights standards service, Robert C. Carty. In concluding the letter, the FAA stated that granting exemption "would not be in the public interest" and said it "cannot find that the proposed operation would not adversely affect safety," according to NBC News.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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