FAA says drone collided with firefighting aircraft flying over Palisades Fire [View all]
Last edited Fri Jan 10, 2025, 02:11 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: USA Today
Published 12:35 a.m. ET Jan. 10, 2025 | Updated 3:21 a.m. ET Jan. 10, 2025
A firefighting aircraft was grounded on Thursday after it was struck by a drone while flying over the Palisades Fire near the Pacific Coast, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The incident occurred on the third day of the wildfire, one of five active wildfires across Los Angeles County. The aircraft landed safely and the incident is being investigated by the FAA, the agency said in a statement.
"It’s a federal crime, punishable by up to 12 months in prison, to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands," according to the agency. "The FAA has not authorized anyone unaffiliated with the Los Angeles firefighting operations to fly drones in the (temporary flight restrictions)."
The FAA said it could impose a civil penalty of up to $75,000 against any drone pilot who interferes with operations involving wildfire suppression, law enforcement, or emergency response while temporary flight restrictions are in place. The agency has implemented several temporary flight restrictions in the Los Angeles region to protect firefighting aircraft.
Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/01/10/drone-firefighting-aircraft-palisades-fire/77587949007/
The impacted aircraft was a Canadian "Super Scooper" that is now out of service.
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