Crime & Safety
NORAD F-16 Fighter Jet Intercepted Small Plane In Restricted Airspace Near Biden Speech In California
A temporary flight restriction or TFR is almost always in place wherever the president is traveling.
October 20, 2022
An F-16 fighter jet, under the direction of the Continental U.S. NORAD region, intercepted a small plane last Friday in restricted airspace over Southern California, close to a community college where President Biden had just begun speaking. The incident occurred over Santa Ana, Calif.; the president's event was in Irvine, just about 12 miles away.
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According to NORAD, the fighter jet fired flares to "gain the attention" of the Cessna pilot. Air traffic control audio revealed the F-16 alerted the pilot numerous times he had been "intercepted" by the armed jet on guard and had entered restricted airspace. The pilot asked the errant Cessna to acknowledge a radio call and rock its wings.
An unverified tweet of the conversation says the F-16 fighter pilot also tried to get the Cessna pilot's attention with so-called "headbutt" maneuvers, like flying in front of the plane.
Find out what's happening in Temeculafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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