Law Enforcement Catches Man Who Flew Drone That Damaged Firefighting Aircraft In California

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A California man pleaded guilty to federal charges this week in connection with a drone that crashed into a firefighting aircraft in California earlier this month.

Peter Tripp Akemann, 56, pled guilty to one count of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft for “recklessly operating a drone that crashed into and damaged a Super Scooper firefighting aircraft fighting the Palisades Fire earlier this month,” the U.S. Justice Department said on Friday.

“As a result of the drone collision, the firefighting aircraft was taken out of service for a period of time and was not able to continue its firefighting mission,” prosecutors said in a statement. “As part of the plea agreement, Akemann agreed to pay full restitution to the Government of Quebec, which supplied the plane, and an aircraft repair company that repaired the plane. Akemann also agreed to complete 150 hours of community service in support of the 2025 Southern California wildfire relief effort.”

The incident happened on January 9 when Akemann flew his drone over the Palisades fire – which burned tens of thousands of acres and caused billions of dollars in damage — after he drove to the area to gather footage.

The statement continued:

Akemann flew the drone at least 2,500 meters (more than 1.5 miles) toward the fire and lost sight of the drone. As Akemann was flying the drone, it collided with a Government of Quebec Super Scooper carrying two crewmembers attempting to fight the blaze. The impact caused an approximately 3-inch-by-6-inch hole in the left wing. After landing, maintenance personnel identified the damage and took the aircraft out of service for repairs.

At the time of the collision, the Federal Aviation Administration had issued temporary flight restrictions that prohibited drone operations near the Los Angeles County wildfires that erupted earlier this month.

As a result of the collision, the Government of Quebec and an aircraft repair company incurred costs of at least $65,169 to repair the plane.

Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally said, “This defendant recklessly flew an aircraft into airspace where first responders were risking their lives in an attempt to protect lives and property.”

“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,” he continued. “As this case demonstrates, we will track down drone operators who violate the law and interfere with the critical work of our first responders.”



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