A firefighting plane, commonly known as a SuperScooper, was grounded after being struck by an unauthorized drone during water drop operations in Los Angeles County.
The LA County Fire Chief confirmed that the drone collision caused a hole in the plane’s wing, forcing the aircraft to land, Fox 11 reports. The incident happened around 1 p.m. Thursday, according to Los Angeles Fire Department PIO Erik Scott.
Unauthorized drones in fire zones
The plane, a Canadair CL-415, landed safely and no crew members were injured. The damage rendered the plane inoperable. The super scoopers, which can carry up to 1,600 gallons of water, are Canadian, government-owned aircraft dispatched to assist with fighting the Los Angeles fires.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the FBI have launched investigations into the incident. According to the FAA, flying unauthorized drones in fire zones is a federal crime punishable by up to 12 months in prison and a civil penalty of $75,000. Temporary flight restrictions are currently in place over Los Angeles to avert such interference.
