Treyarch co-founder pleads guilty to flying drone that crashed into firefighting plane during LA wildfires


Former Treyarch co-founder and ex-president of Skydance Interactive, Peter Akemann, has admitted to piloting a drone that collided with a firefighting plane, causing damage and grounding the aircraft during the LA wildfires.


The incident occurred on January 9th when Akemann’s drone crashed into the Super Scooper, a firefighting plane equipped to carry over 1000 gallons of water for fire suppression. This collision damaged the plane’s left wing, rendering it inoperable for several days and hindering firefighting efforts in Los Angeles.


Despite temporary flight restrictions imposed by the US Federal Aviation Administration to prevent drones from flying near wildfires in Southern California, Akemann launched his drone from a Santa Monica parking garage in an attempt to observe the Palisades Fire. However, he lost control of the drone, leading to the collision with the firefighting plane around a mile and a half away from the launch point.


Following the incident, authorities traced the drone back to Akemann, who has since pleaded guilty to one count of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft. This misdemeanor offense carries a potential one-year prison sentence, but Akemann is seeking to avoid jail time by completing 150 hours of community service and covering the $65,000 USD cost of repairing the plane.


Acting US attorney Joseph T. McNally condemned Akemann’s actions, stating, “This defendant recklessly flew an aircraft into airspace where first responders were risking their lives in an attempt to protect lives and property.” He emphasized the severe consequences of flying drones during emergencies, highlighting the threat they pose to emergency personnel and operations.


In a statement, Akemann’s defense attorneys expressed his remorse for the incident, acknowledging his error in judgment and commitment to cooperating with authorities to make amends. They also mentioned potential mitigating factors to be presented during court proceedings, including the alleged failure of a geo fencing safeguard on Akemann’s DJI Drone.


Having co-founded Treyarch in 1996 and later serving as president of Skydance Interactive, Akemann recently departed from his role at Skydance, according to The Hollywood Reporter.