Government employee operated drone that crashed at White House -report

The South Lawn of the White House is pictured in Washington January 26, 2015. REUTERS/Gary Cameron

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A small drone that crashed on the South Lawn of the White House early Monday was operated by a government employee who said it breached the secure perimeter by accident, The New York Times reported. The newspaper reported that the employee does not work for the White House and told the U.S. Secret Service that he was flying the unmanned "quadcopter" aircraft recreationally before he lost control. (Reporting By Julia Edwards; Editing by Doina Chiacu)