FBI looking for pilot of drone that grounded plane battling Palisades Fire
LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – The FBI is searching for the operator whose hobby drone hit a “Super Scooper” airplane battling the Palisades Fire last week, damaging and taking a vital piece of firefighting equipment out of the sky.
The collision happened Thursday morning near Malibu in airspace that was restricted in order to provide firefighting aircraft clear space to provide critical water and flame retardant drops on the raging wildfire.
The CL-415 “Super Scooper” was providing aid to California firefighters after arriving in L.A. from Canada.
The collision with the drone left the aircraft with a 3-by-6-inch hole in its left wing. It was able to land safely, but the damage took the plane out of service at a time when it could’ve provided critical support to crews on the ground.
A Super Scooper is capable of collecting over 1,500 gallons of water from the ocean to be dropped on an active fire.
With hurricane-force winds whipping the area throughout the week and limiting the flight opportunities for firefighting aircraft, each water drop was considered a precious commodity in the wildfire fight.
The Federal Aviation Administration said that it would be investigating the incident, which happened in violation of a temporary flight restriction. On Monday, the FBI said it was joining the investigation and urged anyone with information to come forward.
Federal investigators have recovered parts of the drone which were “heavily damaged,” the FBI said.
The FAA said flying a drone near wildfires can be catastrophic and can even result in the loss of life.
“When people fly drones near wildfires, fire response agencies often ground their aircraft to avoid the potential for a midair collision,” said the FAA. “Delaying airborne response poses a threat to firefighters on the ground, residents, and property in nearby communities, and it can allow wildfires to grow larger.”
The Palisades Fire has continued to grow since the Super Scooper was grounded, now estimated to have burned more than 23,700 acres and resulted in at least eight civilian deaths.
The FBI created an online form for people to submit information, leads or any photos or video of the incident in hopes of locating the pilot.
Flying a civilian drone in the middle of firefighting activity can result in federal charges and up to one year in prison, and a $75,000 fine, FAA officials said.