A 56-year-old Californian man has agreed to plead guilty to operating a drone that crashed into a Quebec water bomber plane battling the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles earlier this month.
Peter Tripp Akemann, a Culver City resident, appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom on Friday, where U.S. federal prosecutors charged him with one count of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft.
Akemann will remain out of jail under court supervision as his case proceeds. He has yet to formally enter his plea. The misdemeanor offense carries a potential sentence of up to one year in federal prison.
The CL-415 aircraft was grounded after the small remote-controlled drone struck it on Jan. 9, leaving a “sizable hole in its wing,” according to Christopher Thomas, a spokesperson for Cal Fire, California’s state firefighting agency.
“Fortunately, they landed the plane without incident,” Thomas said.
The collision forced all aircraft battling the wildfire to be grounded for nearly 30 minutes while officials ensured airspace safety.
“This makes me very angry. It is extremely irresponsible, and people could have been killed,” Thomas added.
In court, Akemann agreed to plead guilty as part of a plea deal, which includes full restitution payments to the Quebec government and the repair company, totaling approximately $65,169 USD.
As part of the agreement, Akemann must also complete 150 hours of community service supporting Southern California 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, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Akemann had launched the drone from a Santa Monica parking garage to survey wildfire damage. He lost sight of the device as it traveled over two kilometers toward Pacific Palisades before colliding with the CL-415, which carried two crew members. The impact left a hole in the left wing measuring approximately seven by 14 centimeters.
Source: Swifteradio.com
