Drone operator who damaged super scooper during Palisades Fire to plead guilty
The drone struck the Super Scooper, causing an approximately 3-inch-by-6-inch hole in the left wing. The aircraft was taken out of service for repairs and unable to continue its firefighting efforts.
AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter explains why AccuWeather’s estimate of total damage and economic loss is so much higher than other estimates you might have seen.
A California drone operator has agreed to plead guilty to crashing into a Canadian Super Scooper firefighting aircraft that was working to put out the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles.
Peter Tripp Akemann, 56, agreed to plead guilty to one count of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California announced Friday.
According to the plea agreement, Akemann admitted "his reckless and illegal conduct in flying the drone that posed an imminent safety hazard to the Super Scooper crew."
On Jan. 9, while the Pacific Palisades fire was burning, Akemann parked on the top floor of the parking structure at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica and launched his drone to capture video of the damage. He flew the drone more than 1.5 miles toward the fire before losing sight of it.
The drone struck the Super Scooper, which was operated by two Canadian crew members, causing an approximately 3-inch-by-6-inch hole in the left wing. The aircraft was taken out of service for repairs and unable to continue its firefighting efforts.
A CL-415 “super scooper” scooped up water from a lake in California’s Sequoia National Park to battle the Windy Fire on Sept. 30. The fire is nearing 90,000 acres and is just 37% contained.
At the time of the collision, drone operations in the area had been prohibited by the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure the safety of firefighting aircraft.
“This defendant recklessly flew an aircraft into airspace where first responders were risking their lives in an attempt to protect lives and property,” Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph T. McNally said in a statement. “This damage caused to the Super Scooper is a stark reminder that flying drones during times of emergency poses an extreme threat to personnel trying to help people and compromises the overall ability of police and fire to conduct operations. As this case demonstrates, we will track down drone operators who violate the law and interfere with the critical work of our first responders.”
Akemann agreed to pay full restitution to the Government of Quebec, which supplied the plane, and the aircraft repair company that repaired it. He will also complete 150 hours of community service in support of wildfire relief efforts.
“Lack of common sense and ignorance of your duty as a drone pilot will not shield you from criminal charges,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Please respect the law, respect the FAA’s rules and respect our firefighters and the residents they are protecting by keeping your drone at home during wildfires.”
Reporting by TMX
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