A couple days ago we reported on a DJI Phantom being crashed into the lawn of the White House. News later surfaced that the unidentified man responsible for crashing the drone (who, I kid you not, works for the National Geospacial Intelligence Agency ) was intoxicated at the time of the flight. The New York Times reported the man claimed the drone belonged to a friend who was letting him borrow it. He was attempting to fly the drone from the window of his apartment, which is located near the White House. When the drone failed to come home, the man texted his friend noting he was afraid it may have crashed onto White House property. He then decided to just go to bed.
The next day, the man turned himself in. He was questioned by authorities before being released without being charged with a crime.
Obama responded by recognizing there are a lot of good uses for UAVs, but efforts needed to be taken to ensure they are not dangerous or invading people’s privacy. He also noted the necessity to establish a “framework that ensures we get the good and minimize the bad.” [Read more…]