A Culver City man will plead guilty to crashing a drone into a firefighting aircraft during the recent Palisades Fire, federal prosecutors announced Friday.
Peter Tripp Akemann, 56, agreed to plead guilty to one count of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft after his drone damaged a Super Scooper aircraft on Jan. 9. The misdemeanor charge carries up to one year in federal prison.
According to court documents, Akemann launched his drone from the top floor of a Santa Monica parking structure to observe fire damage. He flew it over 1.5 miles toward Pacific Palisades, losing sight of the device before it collided with the firefighting plane's wing, creating a 3-inch-by-6-inch hole.
The damaged Super Scooper, provided by the Government of Quebec, had to be taken out of service for repairs estimated at $65,169.
"This defendant recklessly flew an aircraft into airspace where first responders were risking their lives in an attempt to protect lives and property," said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph T. McNally. "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."
As part of his plea agreement, Akemann will pay full restitution for repairs and complete 150 hours of community service supporting wildfire relief efforts. The incident occurred despite temporary FAA flight restrictions prohibiting drone operations near Los Angeles County wildfires.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Department of Transportation, FAA, Los Angeles Fire Department and CALFIRE.
Akemann is expected to make his initial court appearance today in downtown Los Angeles.
