Pilot Re-Established Communication With ATC, Was Allowed To Continue

A GA airplane operating near Washington, D.C. was intercepted by NORAD F-16s Saturday, but was allowed to continue on its flight when radio contact was re-established.

The intercept occurred about 1900 EDT Saturday as the airplane, identified as a Beechcraft King Air, approached the National Capitol area. The jets were scrambled after the airplane failed to respond to attempts to contact it by radio.

In a statement, NORAD said that the airplane was allowed to continue on to its destination after contact was re-established with the airplane following the intercept.

NORAD's primary mission is to prevent air attacks against North America, safeguard the sovereign airspaces of the United States and Canada by responding to unknown, unwanted and unauthorized air activity approaching and operating within these airspaces, and provide aerospace and maritime warning for North America. In conjunction with homeland defense, security, and law enforcement partners, NORAD may be required to monitor, shadow, divert from flight path, direct to land and/or destroy platforms deemed a potential threat to North America.

FMI: www.norad.mil