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The Canadair CL-415 Super Scooper that was grounded by a drone strike while battling the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles has been repaired and was expected to return to flight status Jan. 14.
The twin-turboprop amphibious water bomber sustained damage to its left wing after it was struck by an unauthorized civilian drone during the afternoon of Jan. 9. Photos of the aircraft, which landed safely at Van Nuys Airport, show the leading edge of its left wing perforated with a large hole.
De Havilland Canada, which owns the CL line of water bombers, sent the part needed to return the aircraft to service. The Quebec Ministry of Transport operates the aircraft and planned to dispatch two additional CL-415s to California on Jan. 15.
“The repairs are completed, and the aircraft will be flying today,” Transport Ministry spokesperson Sarah Bensadoun said of the CL-415 “Quebec 1” aircraft grounded by the drone.
The drone strike is under investigation by the FAA, which had implemented several temporary flight restriction (TFR) areas in the greater Los Angeles area to protect firefighting aircraft, as well as by the FBI.
The FBI released multiple photos of the wing damage, including one of a plastic bag containing recovered drone parts. The bureau said the drone punched a 3-by-6-in. hole in the left wing. It asked for anyone with information, photos, or video footage of the incident to submit the material to http://www.fbi.gov/palisadesdronestrike.
Interfering with wildfire suppression, law enforcement, or emergency response operations when a TFR is in place is a federal crime punishable by up to 12 months in prison and a civil penalty of up to $75,000, according to the FAA.