A drone crashed into a firefighting aircraft near the California Palisades fire Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced.
The aircraft landed safely but sustained wing damage, and it is out of service. The FAA said the incident will be investigated.
“It’s a federal crime, punishable by up to 12 months in prison, to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands,” the statement said. “Additionally, the FAA can impose a civil penalty of up to $75,000 against any drone pilot who interferes with wildfire suppression, law enforcement or emergency response operations” during a temporary flight restriction.
The drone hit a Super Scooper, which is a firefighting aircraft designed to swoop down onto water sources to collect water that can be dropped onto fires. The aircraft can hold about 7,200 liters of water.
“We hit a drone this afternoon — first one,” said Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone. “Our Super Scooper hit a small drone.”
There are no details on who was flying the drone. The incident occurred as Los Angeles endures wildfires that have burned almost 36,000 acres of land, killed at least 10 people, and caused billions in damages.
Marrone said the FBI plans to come to the area with “aerial armor” to ensure no further drones fly in the firefighting area. There are also temporary flight restrictions in place for most of Los Angeles.
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An FAA spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times that it spoke with Los Angeles County Fire Department officials, and “due to the number of manned firefighting aircraft in the airspace, they are currently not able to accommodate drone flights within the TFR,” referencing the restricted airspace.
Drone flights in the airspace won’t be allowed until at least Jan. 23, when the restrictions are lifted.
