Three civilian aircrafts reportedly breached the airspace above US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, following which the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) deployed F-16 fighter jets to escort the planes.
The incident was first reported by conservative news outlet Newsmax, which said the fighter jets escorted three civilian aircraft out after circling the area several times.
During two interceptions, the fighter jets were reportedly forced to deploy their flares to remove the planes from the Palm Beach airspace.
The incidents are said to have occurred at 11:05 AM, 12:10 PM, and 12:50 PM on Saturday. An investigation is underway to ascertain why the three aircraft were in the vicinity. Authorities stated that such instances have been happening quite frequently, The Daily Mail reported.
Meanwhile, Trump cheerfully waved as he arrived at Mar-a-Lago despite F-16 planes being deployed to the airspace amid security concerns.
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3 Other Airspace Violations Occurred In Feb
The Palm Beach Post reported three airspace violations over the coastal city during Trump’s February visit to his residence. Two of the three violations reportedly took place on February 15, and the third one on Presidents Day, February 17.
Michale Sparks, a spokesperson for NORAD, said in a statement issued on February 18, that F-16 aircraft responded to a civilian aircraft violation over Palm Beach in Florida at approximately 10:49 AM.
“Radar data detected an aircraft of interest that was not in communication with Air Traffic Control inside the restricted airspace. NORAD scrambled fighter jets to intercept, and escort the civilian aircraft out of the area and ensure full compliance with the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR). All aircraft safely landed without incident,” the statement by NORAD noted.
The statement further said that NORAD aircraft dispensed flares to draw attention from or communicate with the pilot.
NORAD explained that flares are “employed with the highest regard for safety, burn out quickly and completely, and pose no danger to people on the ground.”
Trump’s return to his Florida estate comes after the fiery clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Friday, which left the world stunned. The clash prompted the latter’s quick departure from the US, without signing the mineral deal.
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