A popular YouTuber with more than 1 million followers has come under fire after staging a stunt video in which a flying helicopter launched fireworks at a speeding Lamborghini in the California desert.
Suk Min Choi, known as Alex Choi online, was slapped with federal charges on Tuesday including causing the placement of an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft.
The video that landed Choi in hot water, not-so-subtly titled “Destroying a Lamborghini With Fireworks,” was compared in court documents to “a live-action version of a fictionalized video game,” NBC reports.
In it, two women wearing flight suits and helmets are seen firing mortar-style fireworks at the exotic supercar from the gunner position of the chopper as it hovered above El Mirage lake in the Mojave Desert.
In December, the FAA contacted the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Transportation to notify them Choi’s video, which was published in July 2023 but has since been taken down, was under investigation, the outlet reported.
An affidavit revealed how Choi and his underlings allegedly skirted every safety regulation under the sun in their pursuit of clicks and likes.
Feds said Choi didn’t seek or obtain Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for the stunt, nor did he secure the proper explosives license from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The YouTuber even traveled to neighboring Nevada to buy the fireworks he needed because they’re illegal in California.
Speaking to FAA investigators, the helicopter pilot initially denied knowing anything about the shoot, but eventually copped to it in a subsequent call when he reportedly told inspectors “Choi was doing unsafe activities involving cars and aircraft.”
The pilot’s certification was yanked in January following an emergency order issued by the FAA, the affidavit notes.
Two of the shoot’s drone camera operators had similar recollections of the casual attitude toward safety during the shoot.
One told investigators he was so alarmed by the setup that he “tried to stay away and behind the helicopter” during shooting, and that he didn’t remember seeing any emergency personnel.
Another described a safety pep talk Choi allegedly gave before shooting began as seeming “spontaneous.”
Choi did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. It was not immediately known if he had retained a lawyer.
