A northern Minnesota man is up against some pretty serious felony charges after stepping outside for an impromptu crow-hunting session that somehow involved perforating a rudder on an active firefighting aircraft.
Daniel Christian Pettit, 48, of Portage Township, was arrested last week and formally charged yesterday with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and intentional discharge of a firearm that endangers the safety of another. Additional counts include reckless discharge of a firearm and felony criminal damage to property.
The incident occurred on the evening of Friday, May 15th, as crews responded to a wildland fire in Portage Township, about 15 miles north of Orr. While Air Tractor water bombers were scooping from Kjostad Lake and dropping on fires, Pettit allegedly grabbed his gun, stepped outside, and started popping off rounds. The pilot reportedly heard a "pop," and, chalking it up to a bird strike, kept flying like a true professional.
The aircraft continued operations without control issues and returned safely to Range Regional Airport in Hibbing. Only after landing did ground crews discover bullet damage that included a round hole entering the bottom of the rudder and exiting the left side, plus damage to a trim tab on the left rear wing.
St. Louis County Sheriff's Office
According to the criminal complaint, Pettit admitted to investigators that he was outside crow hunting that afternoon and fired his gun multiple times (more than five, by his account) while planes were overhead. He insisted he did not aim at the aircraft and only shot when he couldn’t see them.
Pettit told police he was frustrated by low-flying planes, claiming they violated FAA minimum altitude rules over his property and said he had video of one flying directly over his roof.
“If I accidentally hit him crow hunting, too bad,” Pettit allegedly told investigators. “He endangered my life. I decided to go outside and crow hunt. Did I aim and try to shoot the plane? Nope, no I didn’t.”
Neighbors later confirmed the symphony of gunshots they said were timed with suspicious precision. Many stated that the timing seemed to be impeccable, with one crisp volley of shots being heard every time a plane came over. This wasn’t Pettit’s first rodeo with aviation grievances either; charging docs indicated that he’d already been bellyaching about low-flying float planes buzzing his roof back in 2024.
Pettit’s booking photo | St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office
A search warrant executed at Pettit’s residence led to the seizure of several firearms and ammunition, and he was taken into custody following what some reports described as an armed standoff.
As of right now, Pettit is being held in St. Louis County Jail on $150,000 unconditional bail. A judge set the amount after prosecutors highlighted the danger to firefighters and the public, noting a presumptive prison sentence of at least three years if convicted on the assault charge. He could potentially be released with $75,000 cash and electronic monitoring under certain conditions.
The case remains under investigation by the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from state and federal partners. Thankfully, no one was injured.
