Man agrees to plead guilty to crashing drone into 'Super Scooper' during Palisades Fire in CA

LOS ANGELES -- Federal charges were announced against a Culver City, California, man on Friday in connection with a civilian drone that hit and damaged a water-dropping "Super Scooper" aircraft during the destructive Palisades Fire.

Peter Tripp Akemann, 56, agreed to plead guilty to one count of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft, according to the Justice Department. Prosecutors filed an indictment charging Akemann with the misdemeanor offense that carries a prison sentence of up to one year in federal prison, a news release said.

According to officials, the plane collided with a privately-owned drone, causing significant damage to it. The drone put a football-sized hole hole in the aircraft.

It managed to safely land, but the Super Scooper was left out of commission for several days while the fire burned. It was only one of two Super Scoopers available.

A water-dropping "super scooper" was grounded Thursday night after it was hit and damaged by a civilian drone, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

It's a federal crime to fly a drone in the middle of firefighting efforts and punishable by up to 12 months in prison.

The FAA can also impose a civil penalty of up to $75,000 against any drone pilot who interferes with wildfire suppression, law enforcement or emergency response operations when temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) are in place.