Red Lake Nation returns plane to pilot, drops charges after seven months
Resolution ends dispute that began after an emergency landing on reservation land in October 2025
The Red Lake Nation has returned a single-engine airplane to Roseau pilot Darrin Smedsmo and dropped all charges related to the aircraft's emergency landing on reservation land in October 2025, according to reporting from MPR News. The plane was removed from Red Lake Nation lands on June 3, more than seven months after tribal police impounded it following the landing. In a June 1 letter to Smedsmo's attorney, Chief Prosecutor Ogema Neadeau wrote that prosecutors decided not to pursue trespass or related charges and that returning the aircraft was "fair and equitable."
Tribal police cited Smedsmo under a 1978 resolution that prohibits aircraft from flying below 20,000 feet over Red Lake Nation lands, according to MPR News. The tribe said the case prompted discussions with the Federal Aviation Administration about airspace concerns and led to updated flight protocols for air ambulance and firefighting services. Red Lake Nation General Legal Counsel Joe Plumer told MPR News that both sides are focused on moving forward following the resolution.
- 1.Melissa Olson. MPR News, .
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