A 56-year-old drone pilot, Peter Akemann, has pleaded guilty to flying his drone into a Super Scooper water dumping plane fighting the Los Angeles Palisades wildfires, grounding it for repairs. According to the plea agreement, Akemann will likely pay $65,000 in damages and perform 150 hours of community service in support of wildfire relief, potentially escaping a year in jail.

The incident occurred on January 9th when Akemann flew his DJI Mini 3 Pro drone beyond the legal limit of his visual range, colliding with the firefighting plane and causing a 3-inch-by-6-inch hole in its left wing. The drone was flown at least 2500 meters away from its launch point, and Akemann lost visual sight of the drone while flying it. The Federal Aviation Administration had issued Temporary Flight Restrictions that prohibited drone operations near the Southern California wildfires, including the Palisades Fire.

Akemann is not just any ordinary drone pilot. He is the former president and chief technologist of video game developer Skydance Interactive and the co-founder of Treyarch, a studio known for its Call of Duty and Spider-Man games. His LinkedIn page and X social media page have been removed, and he recently left his role at Skydance Interactive.

According to Akemann's attorneys, he is "deeply sorry for the mistake he made by flying a drone near the boundary of the Palisades fire area on January 9, 2025, and for the resulting accident" and "accepts responsibility for his grave error in judgment." They also mentioned that there are "mitigating factors that will come to light during the court proceedings, including Mr. Akemann's reliance on the DJI Drone's geo-fencing safeguard feature and the failure of that feature."

DJI, the manufacturer of the drone, recently eliminated its most restrictive forms of geofencing, potentially letting drone pilots fly over active wildfires and government buildings like the White House when it might have previously stopped them automatically. However, DJI explained that even earlier versions of its software would not have stopped someone from flying over a temporary no-fly zone, like a wildfire, unless that person let their drone download the updated temporary flight restriction lists first.

The incident highlights the importance of drone safety and regulation, particularly in sensitive areas like wildfires. It also raises questions about the effectiveness of geofencing features in preventing such incidents. As the drone industry continues to grow, incidents like this serve as a reminder of the need for responsible drone operation and adherence to safety guidelines.

The US District Court will review Akemann's plea agreement, and if accepted, he will face the agreed-upon penalties. If not, he faces a year of jail time, a year of supervised release, and either up to a $100,000 fine or "twice the gross loss resulting from the offense," whichever is greater.