A drunk intelligence worker crashed that drone near the White House
When you heard that someone crash-landed a drone on the White House's grounds at 3AM on a Monday morning, did you suspect that the pilot was hammered? Well, you're right. Officials have revealed that the operator was a drunk National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency worker who decided that the middle of a cold night was a great time to fly his friend's drone (a DJI Phantom, shown above) near the President's home turf. He didn't realize what he'd done until his pals told him that his escapades were all over the news. Give credit to this unnamed man for doing the right thing afterwards, though -- he notified both his employer and the Secret Service to set their minds at ease.
It's good to know that the incident was just the result of having too much to drink, although it does underscore the White House's current inability to cope with drone incursions. At two feet across, the Phantom wouldn't have been spotted by a radar system designed to detect regular aircraft and missiles. If the White House's defenders want to protect against far more sinister uses of drones, they'll have to update their technology, improve their perimeter patrols, or both.
[Image credit: US Secret Service]
