In a significant legal development, Peter Akemann of Culver City, California, has pleaded guilty to the unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft. The incident involved his DJI Mini 3 Pro drone crashing into a Canadair CL-415 Super Scooper during firefighting operations near Los Angeles. Akemann entered his plea on February 1, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
The plea agreement sheds light on events from January 9, 2025. According to court documents shared by Courthouse News Service, Akemann launched his drone from a parking structure near Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade. He directed it towards Pacific Palisades to observe damage from the Palisades Fire despite Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight restrictions in place for aerial firefighting efforts.
Akemann’s actions resulted in the drone colliding with the Government of Quebec’s Canadair CL-415 Super Scooper. The collision caused over $65,000 in damages and grounded the aircraft at a crucial time during wildfire containment efforts.
As part of the plea deal, Akemann must pay for the damages and complete 150 hours of community service supporting Southern California wildfire relief efforts. Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally emphasized the seriousness of such violations: “This defendant recklessly flew an aircraft into airspace where first responders were risking their lives.”
Issues surrounding DJI’s geofencing feature have surfaced following this incident. Akemann’s attorneys argued that he relied on DJI’s geo-fencing safeguard feature which failed. However, changes to DJI’s geofencing system occurred after the incident date.
DJI clarified that its GEO system serves as an educational tool rather than enforcement and that warnings remain active within their applications to guide safe flight operations.
Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, Akil Davis warned against ignorance among drone pilots: “Lack of common sense and ignorance of your duty as a drone pilot will not shield you from criminal charges.”
Drone pilots are reminded to check airspace restrictions diligently before flying and use features like ‘return-to-home’ when losing sight of their drones.
