A firefighting aircraft battling the deadly Palisades Fire was struck by a drone, forcing the crucial plane out of action with a damaged wing, officials said.
Los Angeles Fire Department officials said the collision occurred around 1 p.m. Thursday. The aircraft, a Super Scooper from Quebec, was able to land safely, however, it sustained wing damage and was placed out of service, the LAFD said. The FAA issued a ...
The aircraft landed safely and the incident is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), officials said.
Fire officials in Southern California have informed the FAA that a firefighting aircraft struck a drone as it was flying over the Palisades Fire near the Los Angeles County coast.
The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) chief warned a month ago that budget cuts had plunged it into "unprecedented operational challenges" which would hamper its wildfire response.
The FBI said it is seeking info about the collision of an unauthorized drone with a firefighting aircraft flying over the Palisades Fire last week.
In May 2024, the city of Los Angeles adopted a Fiscal Year 2024 - 2025 budget that cut the appropriations for the fire department by $17.6 million from the previous year. At the time, the city of Los Angeles was negotiating the union contract with the firefighters' union, the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City.
The budget, approved last year by Bass, cut mainly administrative jobs but also axed about $7 million from its overtime budget.
LOS ANGELES (Tribune News Service) — A drone collided with a firefighting aircraft flying over the Palisades fire on Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. The aircraft landed safely and the incident will be investigated, an FAA official said.
A firefighting aircraft was grounded after it was struck by a civilian-flown drone while over the Palisades Fire on Thursday. The collision, which involved a Canadair CL-415, happened at around 1 p.m. according to Los Angeles Fire Department Public Information Officer Erik Scott.
At least 24 people have died between the Eaton and Palisades fires and at least 16 people have been reported missing.