Man accused of shooting at wildfire aircraft claimed he shooting at crows: Charges

Flanders fire: People of interest, wildfire latest

FOX 9’s Mike Manzoni checks in from Crow Wing County with the latest on the Flanders wildfire, and what officials are calling "people of interest" that have been identified.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn. (FOX 9) - A St. Louis County man faces several charges after authorities say he shot at an aircraft that was working to put out wildfires in northern Minnesota, claiming he thought he was shooting at crows.

Wildfire aircraft shooting charges

What we know:

Daniel Christian Pettit, 48, of Orr, is charged with second-degree assault and intentional discharge of a firearm as a result of an incident that occurred on May 15.

According to a criminal complaint, around 7 a.m., an investigator with the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office responded to the Range Regional Airport in Hibbing for a report of an aircraft that had been used to fight wildfires being damaged. 

Upon viewing the aircraft, the investigator observed damage to the rudder and trim tab consisting of oval-shaped holes with a splattered-looking design, noting they did not appear consistent with a bird strike.

Dig deeper:

Charges state that upon speaking with the aircraft pilot, investigators learned the plane was dispatched on May 15, around 4:48 p.m., to a wildfire near Buyck, Minnesota. A flight path would enter the east end of Kjostad Lake while flying west, scoop water from the lake, and then eventually return eastbound toward the location of the fire.

The pattern was completed roughly 37 times, when on the final run, he heard a "pop" sound while traveling approximately 130 mph, and 500 to 700 feet above ground.

The pilot said he initially thought it could have been a bird strike, but after returning to inspect the damage, he believed it to be caused by a bullet, according to charges.

Due to the remote location of mostly summer cabins, authorities say they were able to pinpoint a potential location that the shots came from along Kjostad Lake.

Upon speaking to a couple at an address on Putrah Road, deputies learned that they had heard multiple shots when the plane circled the lake, between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., with one man saying he heard "bang" sounds every time a plane came around to gather water, and wondered if someone was shooting it, or if it was coming from the planes themselves.

According to charges, investigators then suspected Pettit as being the culprit, given prior contact with him in 2024, during which he stated annoyance with planes flying over his home.

What's next:

Once booked into the Hibbing jail, Pettit allegedly told investigators that, "He knew why law enforcement would be interested in him because he saw on the news that it was possible he hit an airplane when crow hunting." He said he was hunting with a 12-gauge and some buck shot, with two pistols and two .308 caliber rifles.

He also stated that he believed he was following DNR regulations when doing so, and that "it was against FAA regulation to fly below 500 feet of a residential home."

According to the charges, Pettit told investigators, "If I accidentally hit him crow hunting, too bad. He endangered my life. I decided to go outside and crow hunt. Did I aim and try and shoot the plane? Nope, no I didn't."