A Minnesota man has been federally indicted for allegedly shooting and damaging a firefighting aircraft while it was battling a wildfire in northern Minnesota earlier this year. According to the Justice Department, Daniel Christian Pettit of Portage Township faces one count of damaging an aircraft and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
The incident occurred May 15 while pilot Jorden Grieff was conducting water drops near Kjostad Lake. According to MPR News, Grieff heard popping sounds during his 35th pass to scoop water from the lake while flying approximately 500 to 700 feet above the ground. He initially believed the aircraft had struck a bird and continued the firefighting mission.
Damage Found After Landing
After landing in Hibbing, Minnesota, Grieff discovered damage to the aircraft’s rudder and trim tab. Investigators determined that a bullet had entered through the bottom of the rudder and exited through its left side. The pilot was not injured.
“If I accidentally hit him crow hunting, too bad,” Pettit allegedly told investigators, according to MPR News. “He endangered my life.”
Federal Charges
The Justice Department said Pettit told investigators after his arrest on related state charges that he had fired a 12-gauge shotgun and a .308-caliber rifle while the aircraft was nearby, but claimed he had been hunting crows. Pettit made his initial federal court appearance Monday. The case was investigated by the FBI, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office.
Never heard of crow hunting with a .308 rifle.
We’re never going to prevent all the crazies and idiots who do stuff like shoot at an aircraft but I hope they make an example of this guy.
Possibly, and I emphasize possibly, one would use that rifle to pick them off at long distances. However, you’d have to be a pretty good shot to do so, good enough to know the difference between a crow and and aircraft!
https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/crow.html
May 15th not crow season
I’m NOT AT ALL defending this a-hole, but from the link you provided:
Crows can be taken without a license during the hunting season or anytime they are causing or about to cause damage.
Crows may be taken with a legal firearm (shotgun not larger than 10 gauge, rifle or handgun), bow and arrow or by falconry.
Thanks for weighing in, hydenny. We were all dieing to know the rules for hunting crow. Jeez!!! Really? You need a new hobby.
Why isn’t he being charged with attempted 2nd Degree Murder?
As the OP posted a link for the rules for hunting crows, it seems more than one person has some interest in the subject and found it relevant to the story at hand.
You don’t need a new hobby. You need a hobby.
Excellent well written AI article with a photo of a fixed gear Air Tractor firefighting aircraft and the article indicating the aircraft was scooping water from 500 ft - both which are physically impossible with an Air Tractor or in fact ANY type of fire fighting aircraft !.
And apparently you need some lessons in reading/comprehension (and spelling!).
“If I accidentally hit him crow hunting, too bad,” Pettit allegedly told investigators, according to MPR News. “He endangered my life.”
Not of sound mind and body.
In the 60s I used to hunt crows with a 25-06. And I have shot on the Army Rifle team with a 308 at 1 000 yd. I am also a flight instructor. If he were right actually shooting at crows with a rifle they would certainly have to have been stationary on the ground or in a tree. When you using a high powered rifle you always have to be mindful of where the bullet will land. It would be interesting to know the angle the trajectory took through the empennage of the aircraft it sounds like it was fired at an upward angle and certainly anyone could detect an aircraft flying overhead. Sounded like a explanation in any case. Years ago I did have as United States Attorney a charge of an individual firing rate de a shotgun into a Huey helicopter that was flying overhead. In that case it turned out the helicopter was made a pass overhead because his wife tended to nude sunbathe. The only damage to the helicopter was to the paint on la the bottom. I declined to prosecute that case.
Agreed. How do you figure an Air Tractor passing over at 500 ft would be endangering your life?
The article doesn’t say that, though it would be easy to mis-understand. The aircraft was at 500ft when it was shot at, during the process of collecting water. The author used poor syntax which gave the impression that the aircraft was actually scooping water at 500ft.
I use a Winchester 458 Magnum to hunt crow.
It must be a flight instructor/army sniper/US Attorney/dorky braggard thing.