AOPA Calls for Federal Intervention in Minnesota Aircraft Seizure Incident
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has renewed its appeal to federal officials concerning the ongoing seizure of a Minnesota pilot’s aircraft. This incident occurred following an emergency landing on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in October 2025.
Pilot Darrin Smedsmo found himself in a precarious situation when he was forced to perform an emergency landing on State Highway 89. His Stinson 108 experienced catastrophic engine failure while flying from Roseau to Bemidji, Minnesota. Following this, the Red Lake Nation seized the aircraft, invoking a 1978 tribal resolution that claims jurisdiction over airspace up to 20,000 feet and prohibits overflights.
AOPA has since reached out to the Department of Transportation and the Secretary of Interior, seeking their assistance in recovering the aircraft. The association maintains that regulation of navigable airspace falls under the exclusive federal authority administered by the FAA. Smedsmo recently declined a settlement proposal that required a $5,000 donation and towing fees, deeming it unacceptable. AOPA warns that this seizure “sets a troubling precedent that could discourage pilots from making necessary emergency landings, thereby jeopardizing public safety.”
Source: https://generalaviationnews.com/2026/03/17/