A U.S. F-16 fighter jet was scrambled Saturday afternoon to intercept a civilian aircraft after it entered restricted airspace above Hagerstown, Maryland, military officials reported.
The aircraft breached a VIP Temporary Flight Restriction in the area, the North American Aerospace Defense Command said. Such restrictions function as FAA-designated no-fly zones and are frequently put in place around the travel or activities of President Trump, Vice President JD Vance or other senior U.S. officials, according to the National Business Aviation Association. They may also be issued on rarer occasions for visiting foreign dignitaries or major public events, including the Super Bowl.
After intercepting the civilian plane at around 12:20 p.m. ET, the F-16 monitored the aircraft while it landed safely at a nearby airport, NORAD said. In a social media post about the interception, the military branch urged aviators to “stay sharp” and check for airspace restrictions “before every flight.”
The FAA says Temporary Flight Restrictions are distributed to pilots through Notices to Airmen, known as NOTAMs. During the specified time frame, they bar aircraft and drones from entering the affected airspace unless authorization has been granted. Pilots who violate those rules “can face sanctions ranging from warnings or fines to certificate suspensions or revocations,” the agency says, noting that enforcement actions depend on the details of each case.
Military interceptions of civilian aircraft that stray into restricted zones occur with some regularity. In May, F-16s intercepted a plane that crossed into restricted airspace over Washington, D.C., and escorted it out safely, NORAD said at the time. Earlier in June, the command also warned that its aircraft had responded “to more than a dozen unauthorized aircraft incursions” across parts of New York and New Jersey since the start of the month, calling on pilots to exercise greater caution.
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In New Jersey, members of the state’s Air National Guard also saw a rise in airspace violations last summer near Mr. Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, NORAD reported.
