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TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – North American Aerospace Defense Command F-16 fighter aircraft intercepted a civilian aircraft Saturday afternoon after it violated temporary flight restriction airspace over Palm Beach, Florida.
The aircraft entered the restricted airspace at about 4:20 p.m. EST and was safely escorted out of the area through standard procedures. During the intercept, NORAD aircraft dispensed flares to communicate with the pilot and draw attention to the violation.
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.
This incident follows multiple general aviation aircraft violations of restricted airspace in the Palm Beach area earlier this week.
General aviation pilots are reminded that checking Notices to Airmen, or NOTAMs, before each flight is required by the FAA and TFR procedures must be followed. If required, NORAD jets will respond to aircraft violating the TFR and take the necessary action to gain compliance, a scenario we encourage all pilots to avoid.
Should NORAD aircraft intercept a general aviation aircraft, the pilot should immediately come up on frequency 121.5 or 243.0 and turn around to reverse course until receiving additional instructions on one of those frequencies.
Since the January 2025 presidential inauguration, NORAD has responded to over 40 tracks of interest violating TFRs in the West Palm Beach area.
Pilots can access the most up-to-date information published by the FAA at https://tfr.faa.gov/.
NORAD employs a layered defense network of radars, satellites, and fighter aircraft to identify and respond to potential threats. The identification and monitoring of the civilian aircraft demonstrate how NORAD executes its aerospace warning and control missions for the United States and Canada.
For more information about General Aviation and TFRs visit https://www.norad.mil/General-Aviation/
| Date Taken: | 11.29.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.29.2025 18:48 |
| Story ID: | 552570 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 164 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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