TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – North American Aerospace Defense Command F-16 fighter aircraft intercepted a civilian aircraft Friday afternoon after it violated temporary flight restriction airspace over Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
The aircraft entered the restricted airspace at about 3:35 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.
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.
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/