Facepalm: Gaming executive Peter T. Akemann has pleaded guilty to a serious aviation incident that occurred during the recent Los Angeles wildfires. Akemann, co-founder of the Call of Duty studio Treyarch and former president of Skydance Interactive, admitted striking a firefighting plane with a drone, an act that could have had catastrophic consequences. On January 9, Akemann flew his DJI Mini 3 Pro drone into restricted airspace over the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles. The drone collided with a "Super Scooper" water-dumping plane, causing significant damage to its left wing. The impact caused a 3-inch-by-6-inch hole, forcing the aircraft to be grounded for repairs.According to the plea agreement, Akemann launched his drone from a parking structure near the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California. He flew the drone at least 2,500 meters away from its launch point, far beyond the legal limit of visual line of sight. At the time, the Federal Aviation Administration had implemented temporary flight restrictions prohibiting drone operations near the Southern California wildfires.Facing potential jail time, Akemann agreed to a plea deal that includes 150 hours of community service focused on Southern California's wildfire relief efforts. He will also pay a $65,000 fine to cover the cost of repairing the damaged firefighting plane."Flying drones during times of emergency poses an extreme threat to personnel trying to help people and compromises the overall ability of police and fire to conduct operations," U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally, one of the prosecutors on the case, said. McNally warned that individuals who fly drones under such conditions will face arrest and prosecution.Akemann established his name in the gaming community as a co-founder of Treyarch, a studio known for its work on the Call of Duty franchise and Spider-Man games. However, he parted ways with Treyarch more than two decades ago. More recently, Akemann held the position of president and chief technologist at Skydance Interactive. Reports indicate that he recently left this role, though the exact timing and circumstances of his departure remain unclear. // Related StoriesThrough his attorneys, Akemann expressed deep remorse for his actions.Akemann's legal team also hinted at potential mitigating factors, specifically mentioning his reliance on the DJI drone's geofencing safeguard feature and its alleged failure in this instance.DJI's geofencing system was designed to prevent drones from entering restricted airspace. Interestingly, this incident occurred just days before DJI announced significant changes to its geofencing system. On January 13, DJI updated its GEO system, effectively removing the automatic restriction of drone flights in previously designated no-fly zones. Instead, the system now only provides warnings to operators, placing the responsibility for compliance entirely on the drone pilot.