Drone collides with firefighting aircraft over Palisades fire, FAA says

A drone collided with a firefighting aircraft flying over the Palisades fire on Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

The aircraft landed safely and the incident will be investigated, an FAA official said.

“It’s a federal crime, punishable by up to 12 months in prison, to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands,” the statement said. “Additionally, 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” during a temporary flight restriction.

“We hit a drone this afternoon — first one,” said L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone. “Our Super Scooper hit a small drone.”

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-09/drone-collides-with-firefighting-aircraft-over-palisades-fire-faa-says

It grounded the firefighting plane!!