White House spokesman Josh Earnest answers reporters’ questions about the drone incident Monday morning. Source: CNN
A quadcopter about two feet in diameter was found on the lawn inside the White House fence on Monday morning, the Secret Service has reported. In a 3 a.m. news briefing, the Secret Service said “an investigation is underway to determine the origin of this commercially available device, motive, and to identify suspects.” The drone did not appear to be a threat to anyone inside, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. President Obama was in India at the time of the incident. CNN said Secret Service officials spoke Monday morning with a person who came in voluntarily, and it appears the drone was “for recreational use.”
The Secret Service said one its officers saw the quadcopter flying at a “very low” altitude and then saw it crash to the ground on the southeast side of the White House complex. The airspace above the complex is a restricted area, off limits to all aircraft. The FAA has been working to develop rules that would better regulate drone use, but so far the effort is behind schedule.
Meanwhile, an airport in Dubai was shut down was shut down for nearly an hour on Friday due to concerns about recreational drone use close to the runways, according to the Emirates News Agency. ”These UAVs are strictly prohibited in Dubai air space for any purpose without a prior permit from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority,” said Mohammed Abdulla Ahli, director-general of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority. Legal action will be taken against offenders, he said.
