Air Force Fighter Jets Intercepts Aircraft Flying in Restricted Zone Near Mar-a-Lago

NORAD said it has responded to ‘over 20 tracks of interests’ entering the restricted zone in Palm Beach since Trump’s inauguration.

A U.S. Air Force's F-16 fighter in a file photo. Go Bum-jun/Newsis via AP

Air Force fighter jets on Sunday intercepted a civilian aircraft that flew in restricted airspace near President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said.

The civilian aircraft was spotted flying within a zone under the temporary flight restriction (TFR) at around 1.15 p.m. ET on March 9, according to NORAD.

In response, NORAD scrambled F-16 fighter jets, which fired flares to get the pilot’s attention. NORAD said the flares were visible to the public but they burnt out quickly and posed no danger.

The incident took place as Trump finished a round of golf at his West Palm Beach golf course. It was also the second time in 48 hours that F-16 fighter jets from the Continental U.S. NORAD region responded to such an aviation violation over Palm Beach, Florida, the aerospace command said.

NORAD stated that it has responded to “over 20 tracks of interests” entering the restricted zone in Palm Beach since Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

Commander of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command Gen. Gregory Guillot said that civilian aviators may be unaware of the notice filed with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“Adherence to TFR procedures is essential to ensure flight safety, national security, and the security of the President,” Guillot said in a statement. “The procedures are not optional, and the excessive number of recent TFR violations indicates many civil aviators are not reading Notice to Airmen, or NOTAMs, before each flight as required by the FAA, and has resulted in multiple responses by NORAD fighter aircraft to guide offending aircraft out of the TFR.”

Guillot stated that when an intercept happens, pilots of the aircraft must immediately come up on frequency 121.5 or 243.0 and turn their plane around to reverse course until they receive further instructions on one of those frequencies.

On March 1, NORAD F-16 fighter jets intercepted three civilian aircraft violating airspace restrictions over Palm Beach at different intervals. The fighter jets fired flares at two of the aircraft, and all three were escorted out of the restricted airspace.

Another airspace violation was reported on Feb. 18. NORAD said the civilian aircraft was intercepted, flared, and escorted out of the area.

The aerospace command has reminded all aircrews to verify and check “Notices to Airmen” from the FAA before flying, “especially in the Mar-a-Lago region.”

Temporary flight restrictions are imposed when aviation authorities seek to block off some airspaces for a limited time. These restrictions could be in place due to national security situations, major sporting events, and natural disasters, according to the FAA’s website.