A small drone crashed into a tree at the South Lawn in White House, going undetected by the radar system which is designed to identify flying objects such as missiles, planes, and bigger drones.
On early Monday, Jan. 26, morning, the quadcopter managed to bypass security (as it was too tiny to be detected) putting a question mark on the White House security once again. The incident resulted in the lockdown of the White House till 5 a.m. The Secret Service is looking into the matter which is too big to neglect.
A man claimed responsibility for the incident and contacted the secret service to "self-report" the incident. Reportedly, the man did not intend to fly the drone into the White House and was apparently using the 2-feet long quadcopter for recreational purposes.
Around 3 a.m. ET, an officer who was posted at the south lawn "heard and observed" the drone "flying at a very low altitude." The drone ultimately crashed near the south-east end of the complex.
"This investigation continues as the Secret Service conducts corroborative interviews, forensic examinations and reviews all other investigative leads," said Nicole B. Mainor, a Secret Service spokesperson.
President Barack Obama and the first lady are away on a three-day tour to India and did not face any threat owing to the security lapse. Whether daughters Malia and Sasha were at the White House during the incident with their grandmother Marian Robinson is unclear.
While the drone did not pose a threat, the security breach raises several concerns about the recent lapses. The breach also raises questions pertaining to the commercial use of drones, which are often deployed for aerial photography and other recreational purposes.
"With the discovery of an unauthorized drone on the White House lawn, the eagle has crash-landed in Washington; there is no stronger sign that clear FAA guidelines for drones are needed," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.
The drone crashing at the White House has been labeled a "terrible incident" by Michael Drobac, who is the executive director of Small UAV Coalition. The event sends the message that users of drones are not deploying the technology in a responsible manner and are misusing it.
