Tue, Feb 19, 2013
Fighter Jets Intercept Two Cessnas And A Lancair Near Florida Resort
A visit by President Barack Obama to Port St. Lucie, FL, over the weekend resulted in three GA airplanes having encounters with NORAD F-16 fighter jets after they strayed into the restricted area around a resort where the President was staying.
The first was a Cessna 152 that was intercepted at about 1155 EST Saturday. On its Facebook page, NORAD said that "an Air Force F-16 and U.S. Coast Guard helo flying under the direction of CONR intercepted a Cessna 152 General Aviation aircraft near Port St. Lucie, FL. CONR aircraft intercepted the Cessna after it had entered the Federal Aviation Administration’s Temporary Flight Restricted area over Palm City. Following the intercept, the GA aircraft landed at a nearby airport where it was met by local law enforcement."
Later Saturday, NORAD posted that a Lancair 320 had been greeted by the fighters. "Today at approximately 5:10 p.m. EST two CONR F-16's intercepted a Lancair 320 General Aviation aircraft that was not in communications with air controllers (referred to as NORDO or No Radio Contact) near Port St. Lucie, FL. CONR fighters intercepted the GA aircraft after it had entered the Federal Aviation Administration’s Temporary Flight Restricted area over Palm City. Following the intercept, the GA aircraft was escorted out of the TFR and allowed to continue on."
The third airplane was also a Cessna. A posting on the Facebook page for the 601st Air and Space Operations Center, known as "America's AOC," indicates that "at approximately 9:30 a.m. EST (Sunday), a CONR F-16 intercepted a Cessna 206 General Aviation aircraft near Lake Okeechobee, FL. CONR fighters intercepted the GA aircraft after it had entered the Federal Aviation Administration’s Temporary Flight Restricted area over Palm City. Following the intercept, the GA aircraft left the TFR and landed at a nearby airfield." The pilot of that plane was also reportedly interviewed by authorities.
The President was in Florida to play golf over the weekend. Media sources report that he was joined by Tiger Woods for a round on Sunday.
More News
“Setting eight speed records this quickly following its August entry into service is a powerful testament to the tremendous capabilities of this aircraft. We are already seei>[...]
On-Course Indication An indication on an instrument, which provides the pilot a visual means of determining that the aircraft is located on the centerline of a given navigational t>[...]
Aero Linx: WW1 Aeroplanes, Inc. WORLD WAR 1 AEROPLANES was founded by Leo Opdycke in 1961 and incorporated as a federally recognized 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit corporation in 1979,>[...]
Pilot Reported That He Purchased The Airplane Earlier That Day Analysis: The pilot reported that he purchased the airplane earlier that day and completed a condition inspection tha>[...]
Also: Abu Dhabi’s 1st Vertiport Network, Anduril-EDGE Partner, Vertical Permit/eVTOL Regs Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane has cleared another round of pre-flight>[...]
Aero-News: Quote of the Day (11.18.25)
See All