Bird-Strike Passenger Reprimanded by the FAA

The airplane passenger who videotaped a flock of birds flying into a jet engine, sparking an emergency landing, has received a warning from the FAA. INSIDE EDITION talks to the passenger about his ordeal.

It was dramatic video seen around the world of a terrifying moment aboard a jet packed with passengers.

A flock of birds flew right into an engine right after take-off, forcing the jet to make an emergency landing at New York's JFK Airport.   

"That was the scariest thing I have ever done in my life!" said Grant Cardone, the passenger who shot the video.

Now, Cardone is being targeted by the federal government for endangering the other passengers by recording the bird-strike on his iPad during take-off.

"I absolutely feel like I'm being treated like a terrorist," said Cardone.

Grant Cardone just received a letter from the FAA telling him:

"Your failure to comply with flight attendant instructions during a critical phase of flight... Could have affected the safe outcome."

"We expect your compliance with the regulations in the future," stated the letter.

It goes on to warn Cardone that the letter "will be a matter of record for a period of two years."

"This is so Big Brother. There was no interview, there was no phone call, there was no 'Hey, let's sit down and talk to him,' was I in airplane-mode or not—they know nothing about the situation," said Cardone.

FAA requires that all electronic devices be switched off until the plane reaches 10,000 feet because they might interfere with navigation and communication systems.

That's why Alec Baldwin was kicked off a plane—for playing a word game on his cell phone.

"People must follow the rules—you can't pick and choose. That being said, there's absolutely no evidence I'm aware of that says that these electronic devices actually interfere with the flight operations," said aviation expert John Lucich.

Now, Grant Cardone wonders whether the feds are retaliating against him for releasing the extraordinary video he shot for all the world to see.