Minnesota Man Indicted for Shooting a Firefighting Aircraft

A Minnesota man was indicted by a grand jury for shooting and damaging a firefighting aircraft that was fighting a forest fire.

Daniel Christian Pettit, 48, of Portage Township, Minnesota, was indicted by a grand jury for one count of damaging an aircraft and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

According to the indictment, on or about May 15, 2026, Pettit knowingly and willfully damaged and disabled a firefighting aircraft using a firearm while the aircraft was in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.

According to state court documents, on the evening of May 15, 2026, a pilot flew a mission actively fighting a forest fire in northern Minnesota. After the pilot landed, he discovered damage to the firefighting aircraft that appeared consistent with damage caused by bullets.

In an interview after his arrest on related state charges, Pettit said he fired rounds from a 12-gauge shotgun and a .308-caliber rifle as the firefighting aircraft flew nearby, but Pettit claimed he was only crow hunting.

This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office.

Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota