A US Air Force F-16 fighter jet intercepted a civilian plane that entered restricted airspace over Palm Beach, Florida, where US President Donald Trump is staying at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
The US Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirmed that “a NORAD F-16 intercepted an aircraft that entered restricted airspace over Palm Beach this morning. The situation was resolved peacefully,” according to a statement published by the command on its X platform.
It added: “The intercept was conducted peacefully, using a maneuver to attract the pilot’s attention, and the civilian aircraft was escorted out of the area without incident.”
Such incidents are relatively common when President Trump is at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposes temporary flight restrictions within a 30-nautical-mile radius of the resort to protect the US president.
These restrictions are automatically activated during presidential visits and consist of two concentric rings: an inner ring (10 nautical miles) that is strictly prohibited for most aircraft, and a wider outer ring.
Aircraft that violate these restrictions are often small private or commercial aircraft, and pilots inadvertently breach the restrictions by failing to check the Airmen’s Notices to Airmen (AWACS).
