A fatal microlight aircraft accident in 2024 has been linked to production of Apple’s Adventure immersive video series for Vision Pro, according to a new report. And it seems crew members raised safety concerns before the accident.
Pilot killed during Apple Immersive Video shoot for Vision Pro
Claire Lomas got international notoriety in 2012 when she became the first person to complete the London Marathon using a robotic exoskeleton suit, five years after a horse-riding accident paralyzed her from the waist down. Also an accomplished microlight pilot, she was working in that role for an Apple Immersive Video content shoot for Vision Pro when tragedy struck, according to Bloomberg.
What happened
The episode of the Adventure series in production filmed Lomas flying over the desert in Jordan. The tragedy occurred in 2024, but the purpose of the flight has only now been reported. A camera system was mounted on the plane itself, recording Lomas when the crash during landing occurred. She died from her injuries several weeks after the crash at the age of 44.
The planned episode meant to showcase multiple Jordanian landmarks, including the Wadi Rum valley and the ancient city of Petra, and was originally due for release sometime in 2025.
Safety concerns raised before the crash
The revelation of the circumstances becomes more troubling considering those working on the production had flagged concerns well in advance. People involved with the production mentioned broader safety concerns during the making of the Adventure series. Concerns included crews working longer hours than staff felt was safe, filming in harsh climates and operating equipment in conditions the crew had limited training for.
Staffers complained to their superiors at Apple about the issues. In response, the company sent a health and safety representative to periodically work alongside the production staff. The series seems to have no other record of major injuries or deaths.
About the Adventure series
Adventure takes its place as one of Apple’s flagship immersive video offerings for Vision Pro. It follows pioneering athletes as they take on awe-inspiring challenges. Apple spent millions of dollars per episode on the series, with London-based Atlantic Studios producing and Apple distributing.
Apple released five Adventure episodes to date. They feature athletes highlining 3,000 feet in the air, swimming under Arctic ice, parkouring across Paris, cliff diving in Spain and racing cars in Colorado. No new episodes have aired since last year.
Apple and Atlantic continued working together after the crash. They filmed a Colorado episode in August 2024.
The Adventure series sits within Apple’s broader Apple Immersive Video offering, which Apple describes as a “180-degree, 3D 8K recording format captured with Spatial Audio.” The format is one of the Vision Pro headset’s primary selling points and is used in in-store demonstrations of the $3,499 device.
What happens now
Apple has not publicly commented on the Bloomberg report. A coroner’s inquiry into Lomas’s death took place previously. Whether safety complaints raised during production will attract further scrutiny in light of this new reporting remains unclear.
For Vision Pro owners and fans of the immersive video format, the story may raise difficult questions about the human cost behind some of the platform’s most spectacular content.
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
