When Los Angeles wildfires raged earlier this year, every minute counted. But one tech mogul’s reckless curiosity with a DJI Mini 3 Pro drone grounded a vital firefighting plane mid-mission, and now he’s paying the price.
Peter Tripp Akemann, 57, a gaming industry veteran who co-founded Call of Duty developer Treyarch and now serves as chief technologist at Skydance Interactive, has been sentenced to 14 days in federal prison, 30 days of home detention, and ordered to pay roughly $156,000.
His crime? Flying his Mini 3 into a Super Scooper water-bomber battling January’s Palisades Fire, punching a gaping hole in the aircraft’s wing and sidelining it when it was needed most.
Prosecutors said the collision could have been catastrophic. “This defendant recklessly flew an aircraft into airspace where first responders were risking their lives,” the US Attorney’s Office said in a statement. “Flying drones during times of emergency poses an extreme threat to personnel and compromises firefighting operations.”
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How LA wildfire drone crash grounded firefighting aircraft
The morning of January 9, as flames consumed hillsides in Pacific Palisades, Akemann drove to Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade and launched his Mini 3 drone from a parking garage rooftop.
He admitted later that he wanted to check on a friend’s nearby home and see the fire damage for himself. But his drone flew more than 1.5 miles into FAA-restricted airspace, straight toward aircraft ferrying 1,600 gallons of ocean water at a time.
At some point, Akemann lost contact. “It was not until I heard on the news that a drone had collided with a firefighting aircraft that I became concerned it was possibly my drone,” he wrote in a three-page apology letter to the court.
The drone struck a Canadair CL-415 known as the Super Scooper Quebec 1, leased from the government of Quebec to assist Los Angeles County. The impact tore a 3-by-6-inch hole in the wing, forcing the aircraft out of service and into costly repairs. Pieces of Akemann’s drone were later recovered from the site.
The price tag of recklessness
Repairing the aircraft alone cost more than $65,000. Once downtime and other expenses were added, restitution ballooned to about $156,000.
Under his plea deal, Akemann agreed to pay back both the Quebec government and the repair company. He must also complete 150 hours of community service supporting Southern California wildfire relief.
The sentence — two weeks behind bars, followed by home confinement — came from US District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald. While Akemann could have faced up to a year in prison for unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft, the court weighed his guilty plea, remorse, and cooperation.
“Since this unfortunate event occurred, I truly have been filled with grief at the pain I have caused members of the community, as well as my family,” Akemann wrote. Calling his conduct “stupid and reckless,” he admitted: “Common sense dictated that I should never have put the drone up in the first place.”
Akemann’s resume makes the story sting even more. He co-founded Treyarch, the studio behind the Call of Duty series: games famous for their realistic depictions of combat and destruction. He later became president of Skydance Interactive before shifting into a senior technology role.
That background makes his choice to fly a drone into wildfire skies all the more ironic: a man whose career has thrived on simulated firefights nearly compromised real ones.
The Palisades Fire ultimately scorched more than 23,000 acres, destroyed nearly 7,000 structures, and killed 12 people. In such conditions, losing even a single firefighting aircraft can be devastating.
Federal authorities insist Akemann’s case should serve as a cautionary tale for all hobbyists. “Lack of common sense and ignorance of your duty as a drone pilot will not shield you from criminal charges,” says FBI Los Angeles assistant director Akil Davis. “Please respect the law, respect the FAA’s rules, and respect our firefighters.”
And that warning is worth underlining: even a small consumer drone like the DJI Mini 3 can cripple a multi-million-dollar aircraft and cripple lifesaving missions. So, if a wildfire is burning, keep your drone grounded.
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