The United States fighter jets were scrambled urgently on Sunday (March 9) to intercept a civilian aircraft flying near Mar-a-Lago, the estate where President Trump was vacationing in Florida.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) announced in a statement on Sunday that around 1 p.m. local time in Florida, an F-16 fighter jet was sent into the air to intercept a “general aviation plane” flying over Palm Beach.
The statement mentioned that the aircraft of the North American Aerospace Defense Command launched flares to get the attention of the civilian aircraft pilot and escorted the plane out of the area.
“The use of flares is to attract the attention of the pilot or establish communication with the pilot,” the statement pointed out. “The use of flares is done with the utmost consideration for safety, as they burn quickly and completely without posing any danger to people on the ground.”
There have been long-standing flight restrictions over Mar-a-Lago, with the flight restriction area expanding to a radius of 30 nautical miles when President Trump is residing there.
Since President Trump took office on January 20, the North American Aerospace Defense Command stated that their aircraft have responded to over twenty “tracks of interest.” Just last week, the organization also reported three aerial intercept operations.
On Saturday morning, shortly after President Trump arrived at a nearby golf course from his residence at Mar-a-Lago, military aircraft took action to intercept a civilian plane.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command reminded pilots to stay updated on the “Pilot Notices” issued by the federal government, which include regulations regarding Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR).
Officials mentioned that President Trump’s weekend schedule was not impacted by the incident.