A Drone Breached White House Airspace And Crashed While President Obama Was In India


A drone managed to breach the security of the White House when the President was on a foreign tour. The Secret Service went into a tizzy, but have indicated that were no nefarious intentions behind the incident.

The U.S. Secret Service, the close proximity security cover for the President of the United States, is currently investigating how a drone managed to breach the security of White House in the early hours of Monday morning. A two-foot quad-copter drone “invaded” White House airspace at around 3 a.m. and crashed on the southeast side of the presidential property.

Needless to say, the crashed drone prompted an immediate security lock-down of the entire facility by the Secret Service agents. Fortunately, President Obama and his family were not in the White House at the time, as they were on a state visit to India. A White House spokesperson has indicated that the drone didn’t intend to carry out any attack.

“Initial indications are that this incident occurred as a result of recreational use of the device.”

Apparently, a government worker, who hasn’t been named yet, got in touch with the Secret Service and owned up to his actions. He claimed responsibility for the drone and has apparently apologized for the ensuing lock-down. Though the matter may not have escalated to a more severe level, the government employee could face disciplinary action for flying a drone. Drone use is totally banned within the District of Columbia owing to the sensitivity of the region and anyone implicated in such actions, whether for business or recreational purposes, is liable to penal action and arrest.

In 1994, Frank Corder, who was confirmed to have had one-too-many-drinks, had crashed a light aircraft into the White House lawn. Following the incident, the Secret Service reportedly deployed always-alert ground to air missiles to protect the White House and its occupants. Moreover, the White House has a small army of highly trained precision sniper teams watching every possible angle. But it’s admittedly difficult to see what agents could have done about last night’s intrusion by a miniature drone, said James Lewis of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a public policy think tank,

“There’s probably nothing they have that could stop it, particularly at night. The sniper would be shooting at the drone and his bullets would be going past it into the buildings on Connecticut Avenue. If it’s a crisis or emergency, sure, that makes sense, but what goes up comes down, and that includes bullets.”

No one was reported injured and the White House has returned to full functionality since the incident.

[Image Credit | U.S. Secret Service]

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