Gamer Crashes DJI Mini into Plane, Gets $156K Fine & Jail Time

In what might be the most expensive and boneheaded drone flight of all time, a veteran of the video game industry has been sentenced to jail time and a staggering $156,000 fine for crashing his DJI Mini 3 Pro into a firefighting airplane. Yes, you read that right. He hit a plane.

As PetaPixel reports, the pilot, Peter Tripp Akemann, co-founder of the company behind hits like Call of Duty, apparently forgot he wasn’t in a video game and flew his tiny drone directly into a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) zone over a wildfire in Pacific Palisades. The incident is a masterclass in what not to do as a pilot and a hilarious, if terrifying, cautionary tale for us all.

A “Stupid and Reckless” Flight

The whole saga began in January. As a wildfire raged near Los Angeles, Akemann, concerned about a friend’s nearby home, decided to send up his Mini 3 Pro for a look. Unfortunately, at the same time, a massive Bombardier “Super Scooper” airplane was busy trying to, you know, put out the fire.

Akemann’s drone collided with the firefighting plane, punching a football-sized hole in its wing. The plane, one of only two available to fight the blaze, was forced to land and was grounded for days for repairs.

In a letter to the court, Akemann expressed his “sincerest remorse,” admitting his flight was “stupid and reckless” and that he only learned he had hit a plane after seeing it on the news. I guess the giant, bright yellow, water-dropping airplane wasn’t a big enough clue.

The Judge Was Not Amused

Akemann, who pleaded guilty to unsafe drone operation, was probably hoping for a slap on the wrist. Instead, U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald brought the hammer down. He sentenced the game developer to 14 days in prison, 30 days of home detention, and ordered him to pay $156,000 in restitution and fines. Oh, and he also has to do community service for wildfire relief.

This is a huge deal. It’s one of the most severe sentences ever handed down for a reckless drone flight, and it sends a crystal-clear message: the FAA and the courts are not messing around when it comes to TFRs.

The Ironic Tech

The drone at the center of this fiasco was a humble DJI Mini 3 Pro. Just like the one I have been using the last three years. It’s a 249-gram drone, a favorite of hobbyists everywhere. The fact that this tiny aircraft could cause so much damage and ground a multi-million dollar firefighting plane is a stark reminder that even the smallest drone is still an aircraft and needs to be treated with respect.

The irony here is thick enough to cut with a knife. Akemann has spent his career creating virtual worlds of chaos and destruction for video games, but his one foray into real-world flying caused actual, tangible harm and put lives at risk. It turns out, there are no respawns in real life.

DroneXL’s Take

Every now and then, a story comes along that makes you, as a pilot, just want to sit back, sip your coffee, and marvel at the sheer, unadulterated stupidity of it all. This is one of those stories. Hitting a firefighting plane with your drone is not just a mistake; it’s a work of art. It’s a level of cluelessness that is almost impressive.

Akemann’s claim that he lost his signal is a classic excuse. We’ve all been there. But here’s the thing: you don’t fly in a TFR in the first place.

YOU JUST DON’T

The DJI geofencing system would have been screaming at him. His phone would have been lighting up with warnings. You have to actively try to be this reckless.

I almost feel bad for the guy. Almost. A $156,000 fine for a $500 drone is a truly painful lesson. But when your “stupid and reckless” flight grounds one of the only two planes available to fight a raging wildfire, you’ve lost all rights to sympathy.

This is a wake-up call for every single one of us in the drone community. The rules are not suggestions. TFRs are not optional. Check your apps, respect the airspace, and please, for the love of all that is holy, don’t fly your drone into a giant yellow airplane that’s trying to save a city from burning down. It’s just not a good look.

Photo credit: Skydance Interactive, FBI and DJI