FAA revokes licenses from pilots after failed plane swap stunt over Arizona desert

The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday it has revoked the licenses of two daredevil pilots who attempted to switch planes in midair while flying over the Arizona desert, causing one of the planes to crash. One pilot was able to complete the stunt, organized by Red Bull, while the other pilot ended up landing safely by parachute.   

The FAA said cousins Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington violated federal aviation regulations, which prohibit the reckless operation of an aircraft and mandates flight crew members be in the appropriate places and positions upon takeoff and landing. 

According to an investigation into the April 24 incident, Aikins and Farrington piloted two Cessna 182 model aircrafts in Eloy, roughly 65 miles southeast of Phoenix. While mid-flight, the pilots unfastened their seatbelts and attempted to perform a plane swap by skydiving from one aircraft to the other as both planes dived vertically, the FAA said. Aikins was able to complete the stunt but Farrington was unable to make it into Aikins' aircraft, which subsequently crashed.