On Sunday, March 9, Air Force F-16 fighter jets managed to intercept a civilian plane that flew in the restricted airspace located near President Donald Trump's home in Mar-a-Lago. President Trump was playing golf at the West Palm Beach golf course at the time.
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According to a statement issued by the North American Aerospace Command (NORAD), the F-16s had to use flares to catch the attention of the unsuspecting civilian pilot. As reported by CBS News, President Trump was finishing a round of golf when the incident took place. Additionally, the F-16s also conducted an intercept on Sunday morning following Trump's arrival at the golf course.
Officials revealed that President Trump's schedule or his security were not impacted by the intercepts. NORAD, on the other hand, clarified that the use of flared do not pose any danger whatsoever, despite them being visible from the ground.
NORAD and US Northern Command commander, Gen. Gregory Guillot, issued a statement following the incident.
"Adherence to TFR procedures is essential to ensure flight safety, national security, and the security of the President," the statement reads. "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."
Previous Incidents
Reportedly, since Trump took office on January 20, over 20 aircraft have entered the restricted airspace near Trump's Florida home. Most recently, three different civilian planes flew near Mar-a-Lago on March 1. An F-16 fighter aircraft responded to each violation that took place at 11:05 a.m., 12:10 p.m., and 12:50 p.m. Similarly to the Sunday incident, the fighter jet deployed flares on both of these incidents.
Back in 2017, during Donald Trump's first presidency, F-15 fighter jets intercepted an aircraft that was, again, flying near Mar-a-Lago. The fighter jet intercept, as per NORAD, required them to travel at supersonic speeds, which worried local residents as they heard a loud "sonic boom." Residents called 911 worried about the noise, with the Broward Sheriff's Office clarifying that the noise came from the military planes.
