An incident in which a drone crashed into Yle's broadcast tower in Helsinki in the summer was not a case of espionage, according to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Last month it was reported the NBI was investigating the July incident as a case of espionage, because the airspace over Yle's headquarters is a no-fly zone and restricted, due to its status as critical infrastructure.
Flying drones in such areas requires operators to obtain a special permit.
However, at the time, the NBI noted that the incident was more likely to have been an accident rather than espionage, as the drone operator contacted Yle about the device crashing into the tower.
The NBI has since interviewed the drone operator, according to the NBI's detective chief inspector Petri Partanen, who said that they found no indications of espionage.
Partanen said the suspect was a young man inexperienced in flying drones.
Inexperienced operator
Due to the develoment, the NBI is now investigating the case as an aviation offence, which can carry a fine.
According to Partanen, the suspect was flying the small drone for only the second time.
He said the drone lost connection with the remote control, making it impossible for the pilot to steer the device. Then, the drone struck, and then got stuck, in the tower.
"There must have been an electrical disturbance from [the nearby] train tracks, because there are a lot of wires over them," Partanen said.
The device was retrieved by an employee of Digita, a telecommunications firm which works with Yle on antenna maintenance.
Investigators examined all of the video captured by the drone and found that it did not contain footage of critical infrastructure.
According to Partanen, the drone operator had been straightforward in offering information from the beginning.
Partanen added that the individual was properly registered as a drone operator and was also aware of no-fly zones.