Explosive Rotorcraft Stunt Leads To YouTuber’s Arrest

Following the issuance of a criminal complaint on June 4, Suk Min “Alex” Choi was arrested one day later by the Department of Transportation-Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

The arrest came about a year after Choi allegedly arranged and directed filming of a helicopter stunt involving shooting fireworks from a Robinson R44 at a Lamborghini and then posting a video of the stunt on his YouTube channel. The video, which has since been removed but is still viewable on other websites and social media accounts, is titled “Destroying a Lamborghini With Fireworks.”

According to the DOT-OIG and ATF, “Choi did not have a permit to film using fireworks on a helicopter and purchased the fireworks in Nevada because they were illegal in California.”

According to an affidavit filed on June 4, Choi posted the video “on or about” July 4, 2023. The DOT-OIG agent investigating this case watched the video on May 25, 2024, and agents forensically saved a copy before it was taken down on May 28.

The idea to shoot fireworks at the car from a helicopter seems to have originated in text messages between Choi and an unnamed individual in April 2023. The sender suggested that Choi do “insane 360-degree bumpers shot with firecrackers.”

On April 28, according to the affidavit, “Choi wrote, ‘I’ll go to a salt flat, tape as much fireworks as you guys are willing to purchase for me on the car, do drifts (the fireworks will look super cool through the clouds of dust) while i set off the fireworks. I can even get my friend with a helicopter out and attach cameras on the helicopter while he chases me.’ The next text message from Choi reads, ‘i can even have someone sitting in the helicopter and have them shoot fireworks back at me.’”

Indicating that he would buy the fireworks in Las Vegas “as they are illegal in california,” Choi and his team members were believed by investigators to have filmed the helicopter-car-fireworks video at El Mirage Dry Lakebed in San Bernardino County. It appears that two sessions of filming took place because on June 10, he sent a text message saying that he wanted to re-shoot. “We messed up 1 really important shot i wanted to get. the helicopter pilot said he would only charge me 700 dollars if I wanted to re-shoot it next week, since he will be out there for another job.”

The two filming events took place on June 8 and 27, 2023, based on the DOT-OIG agent’s analysis of the raw video files. 

On July 24, Choi received text messages from a sender saying “that they were contacted by the FAA and asked Choi if he knew anything about why the FAA is contacting them. Choi responds in part, ‘that guy has a personal issue with my helicopter pilot friend and every time i do a shoot with him tries to get more information about him so he can go after him. Some other people in the production got contacted as well, I advised them to just ignore the email. I am sorry about that.”

The affidavit does not identify the pilot of the R44. The DOT-OIG learned about the filming on Dec. 5, 2023, when an FAA inspector notified the DOT-OIG “that he investigated a video production organized by Choi involving a helicopter flown by a pilot carrying passengers who shot fireworks from inside the helicopter towards a vehicle driving on the ground at what the FAA believed was the El Mirage Dry Lakebed.” 

An enforcement investigation had been conducted by the FAA, which revoked the helicopter pilot’s license. The specific violations included “passengers launched fireworks from a hand-held device, operated the helicopter less than 500 feet from people and a moving car on the ground, did not display the helicopter’s ’N’ number, created a hazard to persons or property by allowing the fireworks to be launched at a moving passenger-carrying vehicle, operated at less than the minimum altitudes prescribed in 14 C.F.R. 91.119, creating a hazard to persons and property on the surface, and operated the helicopter in a manner that was careless or reckless so as to endanger the life or property of another.”

The helicopter was tracked by FAA radar on June 27 departing from Whiteman Airport near Los Angeles at 1:53 p.m. then after flying past Lancaster turning east toward El Mirage Dry Lakebed. “At approximately 2:28 p.m., the helicopter turned its transponder off and disappeared from radar near Redman, California. At approximately 8:57 p.m., the helicopter reappeared on radar and flew to Whiteman Airport and arrived at approximately 9:42 p.m.” 

Choi is accused of placing explosives or incendiary devices “in violation of 49 U.S.C., § 46505 (b) (3) and 18 U.S.C. § 2(b)." He is expected to be arraigned shortly and could face up to 10 years in federal prison.