Pilot of Drone That Grounded Blaze-Battling ‘Super Scooper’ Pleads Guilty

Peter Tripp Akemann of Culver City, California, faces up to one year in federal prison for the accident.

Wednesday, February 05, 2025 at 02:31 PM ET

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A Bombardier Canadair CL-415 fighting wildfires in California last month was grounded after a drone punched a hole in its wing. [Courtesy: Los Angeles County Fire Department]

Key Takeaways:

Peter Tripp Akemann pleaded guilty to unsafe drone operation after his device struck and damaged a "Super Scooper" aircraft battling wildfires near Los Angeles, grounding the vital firefighting asset.
Akemann faces up to one year in federal prison, 150 hours of community service, and must pay $65,000 in restitution for aircraft repairs, with potential additional fines and license revocation from the FAA.
The incident, caused by Akemann flying his drone recklessly and beyond visual line of sight, highlights the extreme danger unauthorized drones pose to aerial firefighting and emergency operations.

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The pilot of a drone that punched a fist-sized hole in an aircraft battling wildfires near Los Angeles in January pleaded guilty to criminal and misdemeanor offenses, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for California’s Central District.

Peter Tripp Akemann, a 56-year-old resident of nearby Culver City, faces up to one year in federal prison, community service, and restitution to the Government of Quebec for his role in the incident, which grounded the Bombardier Canadair CL-415 “Super Scooper” sent by Canada to help fight the fires. Interfering with aerial firefighting operations is a federal crime.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.