NORAD F‑16s Intercept Civilian Plane in Restricted Airspace Near Mar‑a‑Lago

U.S. defense officials say NORAD scrambled F‑16 fighter jets Sunday around 1:15 p.m. over Palm Beach, Florida, after a civilian aircraft entered the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) zone surrounding President Donald Trump’s Mar‑a‑Lago estate while he was at his West Palm Beach golf club. The jets intercepted the aircraft, deployed flares to get the pilot’s attention and re‑establish communications, and then escorted it safely out of the restricted airspace; Air Force One remained secure on the Palm Beach International Airport tarmac throughout the episode. The incident briefly affected commercial traffic, with video from a Delta flight going viral as a pilot told passengers of a ground stop initially attributed to a possible drone before NORAD clarified it was a manned aircraft that breached the TFR. NORAD emphasized that the flares burn out quickly, are used with “the highest regard for safety,” and pose no danger to people on the ground. The scramble comes after authorities imposed a 24/7, year‑round flight restriction around Mar‑a‑Lago in October, and follows a 2017 episode when F‑15s created a sonic boom intercepting an unresponsive plane near the resort.