The FBI has released photos of a Super Scooper firefighting plane that was damaged when it collided with a drone that someone was flying near the site of the Los Angeles wildfires.
According to fire officials, the plane hit a privately owned drone, which caused significant damage to its left wing. The impact put a 3×6 hold in the wind, which forced the plane to land for repairs and caused a 20-to-30-minute delay in its operations.
Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s LA field office, said on Saturday that whoever flew the drone put people’s lives in danger.
“I’d just like to stress, that technique, using that super scooper aircraft, are our most effective technique to fight fires like this, and when this happens, it puts everybody’s lives at risk,” Davis said, according to ABC 7.
Super Scooper planes fly low and pick up water, which is then dumped over wildfires. The FAA has restricted the airspace over the wildfires to prevent danger to the public and the firefighters and law enforcement operating in the area.
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Even with the restrictions in place, people are still flying drones in the region. Videos captured by drones of destroyed neighborhoods and raging fires have been shared on social media, but could get the pilots jail time.
“Our biggest concern is that there are so many unauthorized drones in the area that they are impacting law enforcement and firefighters’ efforts to suppress this fire and actually get it contained,” Davis said.
In the meantime, investigators are trying to find the owner of the drone that hit the Canadian aircraft.
“We’ll work backwards through investigative means to try and recreate that drone and figure out what company owns that drone and who it was assigned to,” Davis said.
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On Thursday, LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said anyone caught flying a drone in restricted airspace will face serious consequences.
“If you’re thinking that it’s fine to send a drone up in the area for your own amusement, or you want to get information that nobody else can get, and you do it in one of these areas that for which drones are not permitted … you will be arrested, you will be prosecuted and you will be punished to the full extent of the law,” he said.
The FAA said even when a temporary flight restriction isn’t in place, drone pilots should keep their craft away from wildfires to prevent potentially interfering with firefighting or police operations.
“It’s a federal crime to interfere with firefighting aircraft regardless of whether restrictions are established, and violators can face stiff penalties,” according to the FAA.
