Inside Red Bull tragedies from plane crash that killed three to extreme skier’s avalanche death as new stunt goes wrong
RED Bull has seen a number of tragedies through the years, from deaths of its extreme athletes to collisions and injuries at its events. The latest mishap came this weekend when a daring new stunt went wrong, sending a Red Bull plane plunging to the ground. Shocking footage from Sunday shows daredevil pilots and cousins […]
RED Bull has seen a number of tragedies through the years, from deaths of its extreme athletes to collisions and injuries at its events.
The latest mishap came this weekend when a daring new stunt went wrong, sending a Red Bull plane plunging to the ground.
Shocking footage from Sunday shows daredevil pilots and cousins Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington trying to complete a plane swap in mid-air near Eloy, Arizona.
“The skydivers hope to go down in history as the first pilots to take off in one aircraft and land in another after sending their planes into a nosedive and jumping out of them to skydive in tandem into each others’ craft, before regaining control and landing safely,” Red Bull said on its website ahead of the stunt.
The daredevils were about 12,000 feet above the ground when they jumped from their planes. Minutes later, one aircraft was seen spiraling out of control.
Aikins successfully skydived into the other plane, while Farrington missed.
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“The second pilot (and skilled skydiver) was unable to enter the plane he was approaching,” Red Bull said on its website.
“He skydived into a safe landing.”
No one was injured, though the plane was damaged, the company said.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash.
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2020 PLANE CRASH
Another daring stunt involving a Red Bull-branded plane in Guatemala in 2020 killed a pilot and two women on the ground, The New York Post reported.
Horrifying video shared by the news outlet showed the plane doing several airborne tricks before slamming into the ground.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association reported that the plane crashed into a ramp during practice for an airshow.
“It is with great sadness that Team Chambliss confirms that our friend and pilot, Steve Andelin, along with two spectators, lost their lives at a private air show in Guatemala,” Team Chambliss said on Facebook.
“Steve Andelin was flying a plane which carried Red Bull branding, owned by Kirby Chambliss.
“We are deeply shocked and extend our deepest sympathies to the families involved in this tragic accident,” the post said.
EXTREME SKIER DIES
The Red Bull team lost one of its athletes in 2016 when extreme skier Matilda Rapaport died following injuries sustained in an avalanche.
The 30-year-old from Sweden was taking part in a film shoot for her sponsor, Red Bull, the company confirmed.
“It is with great sadness that we announce Matilda Rapaport has passed away after she was caught in an avalanche while filming in Chile on July 14,” Red Bull said in a statement.
“Despite intensive medical care and treatment over the subsequent days, it wasn’t possible to save her life.”
WINGSUIT FLIER’S DEATH
The body of daredevil wingsuit flier Victor Kovats was found at the foot of a 328-foot cliff in China in 2013 ahead of the World Championships.
Wingsuit flying is described as an extremely dangerous sport that involves a special suit that allows a person to glide through the air before deploying a parachute at the end of the flight.
Officials said it appeared Kovats slammed into a cliff after his parachute failed to deploy.
The Red Bull World Wingsuit League confirmed the death in a statement shared by CNN at the time.
“We are deeply saddened by Victor Kovats’s passing and our thoughts and prayers go out to his parents and friends during these difficult times,” the statement read.
“He will be always be remembered for his deep passion for life and his spirit of adventure, and he will always be sadly missed in the wingsuit community.”
CRASHES AND WIPEOUTS
Another intense situation came at qualifying for the Red Bull Valparaiso Cerro Abajo in Chile in February 2022.
Video shows mountain biker Bernard Kerr tumbling to the ground while racing down a concrete stairwell.
“The insane Redbull VCA Urban Dh in Chile was crazier than ever with my huge finals crash!” Kerr wrote on YouTube.
“We are all okay,” he wrote, adding that “Urban downtown racing is insane and no joke!”
The year prior, Tom van Steenbergen of Canada suffered a bad crash at an event called Red Bull Rampage.
He was attempting a backflip on his bike when he wiped out, causing multiple fractures to his right and left hip, upper femur, a lower vertebra, and shoulder, biking website Brujula Bike reported.
“Feeling extremely lucky to be able to make a full recovery after that horrible slam,” Van Steenbergen said in an update following the crash.
“Going in for a long surgery tomorrow. I’ll keep you guys posted.”
And in 2018, two Red Bull team-mates were involved in a crash at Azerbaijan GP, a Formula One motor racing event.
Sky Sports reported that Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo were both reprimanded for the collision, which saw Ricciardo slam into the back of Verstappen’s car while attempting to pass him.
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The drivers had already banged wheels twice during the race, the news outlet reported.
The Sun’s requests for comment on Monday from Red Bull regarding injuries and deaths at its events were not immediately returned.
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