Swiss Police questioned three BBC journalists for using a drone in a high-security no-fly zone at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month.
The event, attended by 2,500 world leaders, royals and dignitaries, took place from 21-24 January and was under strict security regulations including 26 miles of fencing, 5,000 Swiss troops and a 25-mile no-fly zone.
In a statement, the BBC said: “We can confirm that in Davos during the World Economic Forum a BBC team mistakenly took a drone into a no-fly zone area. Three members of staff were briefly questioned by police and it is still to be determined by the Swiss authorities if the BBC will pay a fine.”
Earlier this year, drone photographer Eddie Mitchell was arrested for breach of the peace after flying his drone near the scene of a fatal fire in Surrey.
Mitchell planned to sue Surrey Police and seek around £5,000 in lost earnings and damage to the drone after police arrested him while it was airborne rather than allowing him to land it safely.
The BBC has its own Global Video Unit, incorporating a drone named “Hexacopter”, and notes the potential of drones in its recent Future of News report.
It has used them to film the HS2 route and footage of the Auschvitz-Birkenau concentration camp.
Picture: helicopter landing at Davos (Reuters).
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