A local resident is currently facing charges for illegally flying a remote-control drone that crash-landed at the White House, the third incident to ever occur this year.
Authorities said the 6-by-6 inch F182 6 Axis Quadcopter drone owned by Howard Solomon III flew near the Washington Monument and landed on the Ellipse situated across the White House. It was retrieved by U.S. Secret Service Agents.
Solomon, a resident of the district, was trying to capture the Washington Monument through the drone when wind blew it away and caused it lose control.
Sergeant Anna Rose, spokesperson for the U.S. Park Police, said that they issued a criminal citation for Solomon but he was not arrested because he posed no threat at the moment. He was fined with $85 and will have to appear in court. Police initially said two people were cited, but later statements list only one person as being charged.
Solomon was charged under a federal law that bans the flying of unmanned aircraft in the heavily-regulated zone around Washington, D.C., authorities said. Since the 9/11 attacks, drones have been forbidden in Washington. Drones are available on the Internet for $40 up to $80.
Rose said plans to spread public awareness regarding the prohibited area are being made. The airspace within 15 miles of Reagan National Airport is considered a "no-drone zone," according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
"In an effort to deter drone usage, we're partnering with the FAA and we're launching a campaign. We'll be posting signs to various parks," the sergeant said.
In May, a person attempted to fly a small drone over Lafayette Square in front of the White House, but this person was stopped by Secret Service officers. In January, the White House was locked down due to a recreational operator that accidentally crashed a small drone on the grounds.
The security breach in January occurred during a series of scandals that shook the Secret Service, and in result, the incident made the agency look complacent and dysfunctional.
The U.S. Secret Service takes possible threats like the ones above seriously. Officials say that the agency is planning counter-measures that would disrupt drones' radio commands or zap them with electromagnetic waves.
Photo : Hannah Rosen | Flickr
