While the Firefighting Aircraft was conducting its firefighting missions, defendant drove to the world close to the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California, and parked his car on the highest ground of a parking construction. Defendant launched the Drone and flew it towards the Pacific Palisades to look at injury attributable to the Palisades Fire. At the time, the Federal Aviation Administration had issued Temporary Flight Restrictions that prohibited drone operations close to the Southern California wildfires, together with the Palisades Fire.
Defendant flew the Drone no less than 2500 meters away from its launch level and misplaced visible sight of the Drone whereas flying it. Thereafter, the Drone collided with the Firefighting Aircraft, inflicting an roughly 3-inch-by-6-inch gap within the left wing of Firefighting Aircraft.