Peter Tripp Akemann, 56, agreed to plead guilty to one count of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft, federal prosecutors in Los Angeles said.

Peter Tripp Akemann avoids jail, will pay 'Super Scooper' repair costs and is ordered to help with LA's wildfire recovery A Culver City, California resident has admitted to crashing his drone into a 'Super Scooper' firefighting aircraft battling the Los Angeles wildfires.

A California man has pleaded guilty to recklessly operating a drone that collided with a Canadair CL-415 Super Scooper as it battled the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles in early January, the U.S. Justice Department announced.

The defendant has agreed to pay more than $65,000 in restitution and faces up to a year in federal prison, prosecutors said.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally announced Friday that Peter Tripp Akemann, 56, of Culver City, California, admitted to "recklessly" operating a drone that collided with a firefighting aircraft during the Palisades fire.

Prosecutors said a Culver City man agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge stemming from the incident that briefly grounded the plane.

A man who was piloting a drone that collided with a firefighting aircraft on the Palisades fire has agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor, pay a fine and complete community service, federal prosecutors said Friday.