Los Angeles — The drone pilot whose drone hit a firefighting plane during the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles has decided to plead guilty to a misdemeanor for unsafe drone operation, according to federal authorities. The crash caused a large hole in the plane and grounded it.
Peter Tripp Akemann could go to jail for up to one year. A judge will decide his sentence, according to acting U.S. attorney Joseph McNally. According to the plea deal, he must do 150 hours of community service connected to wildfires and pay $65,000 to cover the damage to the plane, McNally said.
Akemann went to court on Friday and will stay out of jail with court control while his case is ongoing. He hasn’t said how he pleads yet.
Authorities say Akemann fired the drone from the top of a parking structure in Santa Monica on Jan. 9 and flew it more than 1.5 miles toward the Palisades Fire before losing sight of it. It then collided with the Super Scooper that was carrying two firemen. The planes can collect 1,500 gallons (6,000 liters) of water in just a few seconds.
A fire fueled by the wind started in the wealthy Pacific Palisades on January 7. It damaged or destroyed almost 8,000 homes, shops, and other buildings, resulting in at least 12 deaths. Drone flights were not allowed in the area because of the ongoing shooting. The fire was made worse by dry Santa Ana winds and has burned at least 36 square miles of land. By Friday, it was 98% under control.
In a message to the media, defense lawyer Glen Jonas said that Akemann is “very sorry for the mistake he made” and “takes responsibility for his serious error in judgment.”
On Friday, federal officials stressed that drone users must understand the rules, and there will be penalties for not following them. This is especially important as Los Angeles prepares for big events like the World Cup, Super Bowl, and Olympics in the coming years.
The FAA has strict rules for registering drones and for where you can fly them. “It’s the pilot’s responsibility. If firefighters are using planes to fight a fire, that should be a warning sign,” said Akil Davis, the assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
The Super Scooper, owned by the Quebec government, was not flying for several days. The pilot managed to land the plane even though there was a hole in the left wing from the drone crash.
Davis stated that there is no proof Akemann meant to cause the crash.
“Not using common sense and not knowing your responsibilities as a drone pilot won’t protect you from facing criminal charges,” he said.
A fire in a hilly area of Los Angeles, where celebrities like Jamie Lee Curtis and Billy Crystal lost their homes, forced thousands of people to evacuate and left many without power.
Investigators are still trying to find out what started the fire. Officials have placed the start of a blaze behind a home on Piedra Morada Drive, which sits above a densely wooded arroyo.
Another fire caused by strong winds began the same day in Altadena, a town about 35 miles east of Pacific Palisades. This fire resulted in at least 17 deaths and damaged or burned over 10,000 homes and buildings.
The Santa Ana winds have caused regular wildfires to become huge fires that have destroyed neighborhoods in and near Los Angeles, which hasn’t seen much rain in over eight months.
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