Incident Happens Despite Well-Publicized Prohibition On Such Flights In D.C.

A quadcopter got away from its owner on Friday and wound up in the Ellipse, a grassy area in front of the White House in Washington, D.C., and the owner of the aircraft has been cited by local police.

Radio station WTOP reports that the incident was reported at 0120 EDT Friday to the Secret Service and Park Police. The Secret Service retrieved the F182 6 axis quadcopter and turned it over to Park Police.

The prohibition against flying unmanned aircraft pretty much anywhere in nation's capital has been well publicized. But that didn't stop Howard Solomon III from launching a flight in the National Mall in an attempt to capture images of the Washington Monument. He told police that the wind caught his aircraft and blew it across the street towards the White House.

USA Today reports that unlike the previous quadcopter that crashed on the White House lawn in January, Solomon's quad was an inexpensive model. He told police it cost him about $65.

While the person who crashed the DJI Phantom on the White House lawn was not fined, the citation handed to Solomon was $85. He was charged with launching, landing, or operating an unmanned aircraft in a restricted area, according to park police.

The FAA in June declared Washington, D.C. a "No Drone Zone", with penalties up to $25,000 for flying anywhere within a 15 mile radius of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

WTOP reports that it is the ninth reported incident involving an illegal flight of a UAV in the Greater Washington national park this year, and the 26th since 2013.

FMI: https://www.faa.gov/uas/no_drone_zone