Considering this and other incidents around the globe, Warner said he wants more attention focused on unmanned aircraft that go astray.
On Monday, the senator wrote to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx urging the department to consider a pilot project at a U.S. airport. Its goal: determine how counterdrone technology could be integrated into daily operations.
"This could provide a blueprint for U.S. airports to establish protocols to protect airports against both innocuous recreational UAS (unmanned aerial system) mishaps, as well as more nefarious incursions," the letter states.
Besides the crash on the South Lawn, Warner noted that unidentified drones had breached restricted airspace near French nuclear plants. Several other drones have been seen hovering near the Eiffel Tower.
On April 22, a drone carrying radioactive sand landed on the roof of the Japanese prime minister's office. The operator, who turned himself in, confessed he had considered U.S. targets in downtown Tokyo, Warner said.
Laura J. Brown, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said the agency had no public comment and would respond to Warner directly.
Warner, a former venture capitalist, has been a cheerleader for the emerging commercialization of unmanned craft. He's said the emerging industry reminds him of a crazy idea he believed in years ago — that people could carry portable phones everywhere.
He pushed for the Maryland-Virginia corridor to become a test bed for integrating unmanned systems into commercial airspace.
That effort is being led by the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership. It is a joint effort of Virginia Tech, Rutgers University and the University of Maryland, and includes industry members. It operates test sites in three Eastern states under the auspices of the Federal Aviation Administration.
Rose Mooney, partnership executive director, said the group is already considering technologies that safely limit unmanned craft while not hindering the industry's growth. One such technology is called "geofencing" that erects virtual barriers for unmanned craft.
She said Warner "has worked with us" and his suggestion of a demonstration program would be another way to broadly examine the issue.
However, more education about unmanned systems would also go a long way toward preventing problems, as would industry-inspired regulations, said the president of the Hampton Roads AUVSI, which stands for Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.
Jay Willmott, the chapter president, said the association participates in an education campaign called Know Before You Fly, found at knowbeforeyoufly.org. It aims to educate prospective users about safe and responsible operation of unmanned aircraft.
"I'm also a big believer in industry standards," he said, "and the industry being responsible in regulating itself."
The crash on the South Lawn is a good example of that, he said. DJI is the company that makes the Phantom drone, a popular model. After the incident, company officials said it would introduce an update to the craft's software to essentially create a no-fly zone in Washington, D.C., airspace.
When the drone enters the restricted area, its motors will cease to operate.
"The industry can do a lot to help people not do bad or stupid things," Willmott said.
He envisions communities enacting local ordinances when they "deem what's right and proper."
©2015 the Daily Press (Newport News, Va.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
