Federal authorities said that a man has agreed to plead guilty to unsafely operating a drone that collided with a firefighting aircraft during the deadly Palisades Fire in Los Angeles.
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Tim Bearer walks in the rubble of his mother’s fire-ravaged property in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. Image- AP
Peter Tripp Akemann, a 56-year-old from Culver City has agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge after his drone collided with a firefighting aircraft during the Palisades fire. The collision on Jan. 9 caused the firefighting aircraft to be grounded for several days.
Federal prosecutors said on Friday that Akemann will pay a fine, complete community service and could face up to a year in federal prison.
Akemann was charged with unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft after his drone which authorities say was flying in restricted airspace on January 9, struck a Super Scooper. The collision caused a fist-sized hole in the plane’s wing and grounded it for about five days, while the drone was destroyed. The Super Scooper is a large fixed-wing aircraft that drops water on fast-moving fires.
“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.
Davis said there was no evidence Akemann intentionally caused the collision.
“However, flying drones in a restricted area could cause a catastrophe,” Davis said.
Officials say the plane was owned by the government of Quebec and that Akemann has agreed to pay restitution. He has also agreed to 150 hours of community service related to wildfire relief.
Akemann is scheduled to appear in court Friday afternoon.
The wind-driven blaze in the upscale Pacific Palisades began Jan. 7, destroying or damaging nearly 8,000 homes, businesses and other structures and killing at least 12 people.
The conflagration fueled by dry Santa Ana winds has scorched at least 36 square miles (94 square kilometers) of land. It was 98% contained as of Friday.
Authorities say Akemann launched 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 site of it. It then crashed with the Super Scooper firefighting plane