20250109001602I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Canadair CL-215-6B11 (CL-415) · Santa Monica, CA · January 9, 2025

Date: January 9, 2025 · 11:45 local
Place: Santa Monica, CA
Phase of flight: Other, Specify
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision: Midair collision
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: C-GQBE
Reported as: Canadair CL-215-6B11 (CL-415)
Reported engine: P&Wa PW123AF
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,865 total

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

01/09/2025- Aircraft c-gqbe (243) departed vny at 10:05 for firefighting the palisades fire. The aircraft returned to vny at 12:34. During post inspection a hole was noted in the LH wing leading edge just outboard of the landing light. Maintenance techs found pieces of a drone stuck in the wing. The flight crew stated they did not see, feel, or note any changes in flight characteristics of the aircraft.

The drone was being flown over the paliades fire in the area of Santa Monica beach when struck by the fire fighting aircraft.

Tfr-

Type- hazard

Reason- to provide space for wildfire firefighting

The in-flight impact of the drone caused a 5" x 6" hole in the leading edge of the LH wing. The leading-edge skin local to the area of damage and internal rib were repaired or replaced.

As the FAA filed it

01/09/2025- AIRCRAFT C-GQBE (243) DEPARTED VNY AT 10:05 FOR FIREFIGHTING THE PALISADES FIRE. THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO VNY AT 12:34. DURING POST INSPECTION A HOLE WAS NOTED IN THE LH WING LEADING EDGE JUST OUTBOARD OF THE LANDING LIGHT. MAINTENANCE TECHS FOUND PIECES OF A DRONE STUCK IN THE WING. THE FLIGHT CREW STATED THEY DID NOT SEE, FEEL, OR NOTE ANY CHANGES IN FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AIRCRAFT.

THE DRONE WAS BEING FLOWN OVER THE PALIADES FIRE IN THE AREA OF SANTA MONICA BEACH WHEN STRUCK BY THE FIRE FIGHTING AIRCRAFT.

TFR-

TYPE- HAZARD

REASON- TO PROVIDE SPACE FOR WILDFIRE FIREFIGHTING

THE IN-FLIGHT IMPACT OF THE DRONE CAUSED A 5" X 6" HOLE IN THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LH WING. THE LEADING-EDGE SKIN LOCAL TO THE AREA OF DAMAGE AND INTERNAL RIB WERE REPAIRED OR REPLACED.

Other aircraft in the event · 1

Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.

-UAS-DJI Ultra Light - 249GNo report for this aircraft in the release