A firefighting plane landed safely after striking a drone while operating over the area of the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, according to the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The agency said it would investigate the incident, warning that it is a federal crime, punishable by up to 12 months in prison, to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands. The FAA could also fine any drone pilot up to $75,000 for interfering with wildfire suppression when temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) are in place.
"The FAA treats these violations seriously and immediately considers swift enforcement action for these offenses. The FAA has not authorized anyone unaffiliated with the Los Angeles firefighting operations to fly drones in the TFRs," the agency said.
