The small drone that crashed into a tree on the South Lawn of the White House early Monday morning was operated by a government employee who has told the Secret Service that he did not mean to fly it over the White House fence and near the president's residence, according to law enforcement officials.
The employee -- who does not work for the White House -- has told the Secret Service that he was flying the drone for recreational purposes about 3 a.m. in the area around 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. when he lost control of it.
So far, the Secret Service said it believed the man's account.
In a second statement about the incident, the Secret Service said an individual had called them about 9:30 a.m. Monday to report that he had been the one controlling the drone when it crashed on the White House grounds.
"The individual has been interviewed by Secret Service agents and been fully cooperative. Initial indications are that this incident occurred as a result of recreational use of the device," according to the statement.
The Secret Service also released a photo of the partially broken drone on the ground. It appears to be a version of the DJI Phantom Aerial UAV Drone Quadcopter. Models equipped with high-definition cameras sell for as much as $1,258.
A small, commercial quad copter drone crashed on the southeast grounds, forcing a brief lockdown of the White House complex, according to the Secret Service.
Officials said in a statement that a Secret Service officer posted on the south grounds of the White House "heard and observed" the device, which was about 2 feet in diameter, at 3:08 a.m.
Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary who is traveling with President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama in India, said the drone did not appear to be dangerous. The Obamas are on a three-day visit to India, but their daughters, Malia and Sasha, are in Washington.
"There is a device that has been recovered by the Secret Service at the White House," Earnest told reporters. "The early indications are that it does not pose any sort of ongoing threat to anybody at the White House."
Officials said a drone like the one that crashed Monday probably could not carry enough explosives to significantly damage the White House structure. But the president is often outside the building, inside the perimeter of the White House fence.
Obama and Denis McDonough, the White House chief of staff, are known to walk outside when the weather is nice, walking along the circular driveway on the south side of the building. Obama also frequently participates in ceremonies on the South Lawn, just on the other side of fence that circles the complex.
The president's helicopter, Marine One, lands and takes off on the South Lawn, mere steps from the entrance to the residence. Obama sometimes stands in front of the helicopter for several minutes to make statements to the media.
Although drones are commonly thought of in the context of missile-firing, unmanned vehicles used against terrorists, many small flying drones are available on the commercial market and are used as toys.
A hobbyist website, DroneFlyers.com, lists "micro"-size drones that can fit into the palm of a hand for less than $35 and "prosumer" models that are 2 feet wide and include live, high-definition video cameras. One such device is currently listed at for $2,899.
A spokesman for the Secret Service declined to say whether the agency had instituted any special protections against drones that could carry bombs or other dangerous payloads over the White House fence and toward the West Wing or the residence.
It remains unclear whether the drone in question had a camera or if it was equipped to carry anything else.
"Since the investigation into this matter is ongoing, there is no additional information at this time," said Nicole Mainor, a staff assistant for the office of public affairs at the agency.
The report of the drone intrusion came at a time when other threats to the president's family or their home have led to concerns about a lack of security at one of the most heavily guarded buildings in Washington.
The Secret Service has been criticized heavily for a number of recent security breaches, including an incident in which an intruder climbed the White House fence last year and reached the interior of the White House before being caught by agents.
Four top Secret Service officials were demoted earlier this month in the wake of a scathing report by the Department of Homeland Security that revealed shortcomings in the way the department and its staff protected the president's home.
"Change is necessary to gain a fresh perspective on how we conduct business," Joseph Clancy, the agency's interim director, said in a written statement at the time. "I am certain any of our senior executives will be productive and valued assets either in other positions at the Secret Service or the department."
Information for this article was contributed by Peter Baker of The New York Times.
A Section on 01/27/2015