On January 9th, a drone operator, Peter Akemann, was caught in a serious incident involving a wildfire-fighting aircraft. The drone, a DJI Mini 3 Pro, was flown far beyond the legal limit and collided with the aircraft, leaving a hole in its left wing. The collision caused the aircraft to crash.  It was a serious problem. The aircraft had to land for repairs. The repairs cost a significant amount of money.

        Akemann was found to have flown the drone from a parking structure near the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. The FAA had issued temporary flight restrictions, but Akemann ignored these restrictions. He flew the drone more than 2, 500 meters away from its launch point, losing visual sight of it. He is a senior drone pilot. He was not just flying for fun.

        Akemann admitted that he was responsible for the incident, which caused significant damage to the firefighting aircraft. The plea agreement, which he accepted, includes 150 hours of community service and payment of about $65, 000 in damages. The court has not yet accepted the plea agreement, meaning Akemann could face a year in jail, supervised release, and a fine. The fine could be up to $100, 000 or twice the gross loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greater. It is a serious incident.

        Akemann's attorneys stated that he is deeply sorry for his actions and accepts responsibility for his mistakes. They also mentioned that there are mitigating factors, such as Akemann's reliance on the DJI drone's geofencing feature, which failed to prevent the incident. The DJI drones can be dangerous.

        The DJI drones have recently eliminated some of their most restrictive forms of geofencing, which could potentially allow drone pilots to fly over active wildfires and other restricted areas. DJI has explained that even the 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. It is a dangerous situation.

        In conclusion, the incident involving Akemann and the wildfire-fighting aircraft serves as a reminder of the importance of following flight restrictions and the potential consequences of not doing so. It is a serious problem.

Drone Disaster: Why A Plea Deal Might Let Off The Hook Who Caused A Wildfire Plane To Crash

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