A man has pleaded guilty to unsafely operating a drone that collided with firefighting aircraft during the devastating Palisades Fire in Los Angeles.
Peter Tripp Akemann agreed to a plea deal that would see him pay full restitution for the damage on the plane and do 150 hours of community service in wildfire relief in exchange for no time in prison.
Acting U.S. attorney Joseph McNally confirmed the details of the plea deal for the charges Akemann faced that carried a potential sentence of one year in prison.
Akemann's unsafe drone operation resulted in a collision that grounded a firefighting aircraft for several days in early January while wildfires devastated the affluent Pacific Palisades area.
As there was no evidence suggesting Akemann acted with malicious intent in operating his drone in an unsafe manner, prosecutors were willing to negotiate for no prison time.
While Akemann had no malicious intent, Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, stated "Lack of common sense and ignorance of your duty as a drone pilot will not shield you from criminal charges."
The aircraft that hit Akemann's drone was from Canada and owned by the Government of Quebec and Akemann has agreed to pay $65,000 in repair costs.
On January 9th, Akemann launched his drone from a parking structure in Santa Monica and flew it over 1.5 miles toward the Palisades Fire.
At a certain point, Akemann lost sight of the drone after which the drone then hit the wing of a Super Scooper firefighting plane punching a hole in the plane's left wing.
Thanks to the skilled actions of the pilots, they were able to land the aircraft safely despite the hole in the wing averting a potential tragedy that could have cost the lives of the two pilots as well as others had the plane crashed in an urban area.
While the plane survived, it was grounded for days restricting the ability of firefighters to contain the out of control wildfires that consumed thousands of structures.
Private citizens operating drones must pay attention to emergency orders in case authorities issue a grounding order for all personal craft.
During firefighting operations, drones must be grounded to avoid collision with helicopters and planes which are a key asset in fighting massive wildfires.
Davis explained, "The FAA has very strict guidelines about registering drones and where drones can be flown. The onus is on the pilot, if firefighters are putting out a fire with aircraft that should be a clue."
Hopefully, Akemann's case will be a reminder to all private operators to make better decisions and not interfere with firefighting operations by compromising the airspace.
