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F-16s scrambled, flares deployed to intercept plane near Mar-a-Lago

By
Emily Mae Czachor
News Editor
Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She typically covers breaking news, extreme weather and issues involving social justice. Emily Mae previously wrote for outlets like the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.
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Emily Mae Czachor

/ CBS News

U.S. military jets on Saturday intercepted a civilian aircraft that flew through temporarily restricted airspace over Palm Beach, Florida, where President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate is located,  the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

The civilian plane entered the airspace at around 4:20 p.m. EST that afternoon, NORAD said. It dispatched F-16 fighter jets to the site, which initially sent out flares to get the pilot's attention before escorting the plane out of the restricted zone. 

"The flares, which may have been visible to the public, are used with the highest regard for safety, burn out quickly and completely, and pose no danger to people on the ground," said NORAD. The command is a joint U.S. and Canadian organization that handles aerospace and maritime warnings for North America.

NORAD reminded general aviation pilots to check "Notices to Airmen," or NOTAMS, which are timely advisories that notify pilots of any changes to the national airspace, including temporary flight restrictions, ahead of each flight. Temporary flight restrictions prohibit aircraft from entering certain airspaces for designated periods of time.

The command said military jets "will respond to aircraft violating the [Temporary Flight Restriction and take the necessary action to gain compliance, a scenario we encourage all pilots to avoid."

The interception on Saturday followed "multiple general aviation aircraft violations of restricted airspace" over Palm Beach earlier in the week, according to NORAD, which said the command has responded to more than 40 "tracks of interest" that violated temporary flight restrictions in the West Palm Beach area since President Trump took office in January. 

Mr. Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate is located in Palm Beach, and his golf club is in West Palm. The president was at Mar-a-Lago over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

A "track of interest" typically refers to any airborne object that either threatens or has the potential to threaten North America or U.S. national security, and is monitored as such, to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Less than two months after Mr. Trump began his second presidential term, in early March, NORAD said military jets had already intercepted 20 civilian aircraft violating temporary flight restrictions near his Palm Beach home. 

Back in 2017, during Mr. Trump's first term, a pair of F-15 fighter jets were scrambled to intercept an unresponsive aircraft near Mar-a-Lago. Officials said the military action created a "sonic boom," the sound created by planes traveling at supersonic speeds through the air, which alarmed nearby residents. 

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