FBI investigators are searching for the operator of a private drone that collided with a firefighting aircraft while it was helping to fight wildfires in Los Angeles, California.
The Canadair CL-415 ‘Super Scooper’ was struck on January 9, 2025, at 13:30, local time, while it was working to put out the massive Palisades fire. Erik Scott, Paramedic- Public Information Officer for Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), announced on X that the drone was not assigned to the Palisades fire suppression. So far, the Palisades fire has burned over 23,713 acres in LA County, according to the data from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The damaged aircraft was able to land safely after the collision and currently remains out of service. Akil Davis, FBI Assistant Director in the Los Angeles Field Office, told Fox News that the crash left a three-inch-by-six-inch hole in the aircraft’s wing.
On January 12, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released new images of the damaged water-dropping firefighting aircraft where the hole from the collision is clearly visible.
FBI working to piece together drone that damaged super scooper while battling Palisades Firehttps://t.co/EiDB38IGP8
— 梅シャツ (@ume_shirt) January 12, 2025
Since the investigation began, some parts of the drone have been found, the Fox News report read.
“We are working with our public and private sector counterparts to try to identify the operator of that drone,” Davis said in a statement seen by Fox News. “But since that incident, we have had [more than 10] contacts with drone operators in which we have warned and fined in previous years.”
The FAA is currently investigating the incident and reminded the public that it is a federal crime to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands.
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 when temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) are in place.
