CL-415 Lands Safely, Now Out Of Service

A firefighting aircraft operating over the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles is grounded and out of service due to a mid-air drone strike by a civilian drone not assigned to the fire. The aircraft, a Canadair CL-415 Super Scooper, landed safely with no injuries.

The left wing of the aircraft was damaged by the drone at about 1 p.m. on January 9 and the FAA said it will investigate the incident.

The agency said in a statement, “The FAA has not authorized anyone unaffiliated with the Los Angeles firefighting operations to fly drones in the TFRs. The FAA treats these violations seriously and immediately considers swift enforcement action for these offenses.”

The FAA has activated several TFRs in the area to protect firefighting aircraft, and it said “All other aircraft, including drones, are prohibited from flying in the TFRs unless they receive authorization.”

Erik Scott, spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department said, “We would like to remind everyone that flying a drone in the midst of firefighting efforts is a federal crime and punishable by up to 12 months in prison or a fine of up to $75,000.”

The FAA went on to say, “When people fly drones near wildfires, fire response agencies often ground their aircraft to avoid the potential for a midair collision. 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.”

Incident Details:

• Date: Thursday 9 January 2025
• Time:  c. 13:00
• Type:  Canadair CL-415
• Owner/operator:  Quebec Service Aerien Gouvernemental
• Registration:  C-GQBE
• MSN:  2017
• Year of manufacture:  1995
• Fatalities:  Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
• Other fatalities:  0
• Aircraft damage:  Minor
• Location:  near Santa Monica, CA -    United States of America
• Phase:  En route
• Nature:  Fire fighting
• Departure airport:  Los Angeles-Van Nuys Airport, CA (VNY/KVNY)
• Destination airport:  Los Angeles-Van Nuys Airport, CA (VNY/KVNY)

?FMI:  www.faa.gov/