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PALM BEACH, Fla. — For the second time in as many days, North American Aerospace Defense Command fighter jets intercepted a pilot who entered the restricted airspace over President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club on Sunday.
A civilian pilot violated the temporary flight restrictions issued for the airspace around Trump’s Palm Beach home at about 1:15 p.m. Sunday, NORAD officials said in a news release. NORAD’s F-16s escorted the aircraft safely out of the area, the agency said.
The jets used flares that may have been visible from the ground during the intercept to get the pilot’s attention, NORAD said. The agency noted that the flares are “employed with the highest regard for safety,” and do not pose any danger to people on the ground.
Adhering to posted flight restrictions is essential to flight safety and presidential and national security, Gen. Gregory Guillot, NORAD and U.S. Northern Command commander, said in the news release.
“The procedures are not optional, and the excessive number of recent TFR violations indicates many civil aviators are not reading Notice to Airmen, or NOTAMs, before each flight as required by the Federal Aviation Administration, and has resulted in multiple responses by NORAD fighter aircraft to guide offending aircraft out of the TFR,” Guillot said.
Latest airspace violation over Mar-a-Lago
NORAD, which is tasked with monitoring and defending North American airspace, has intercepted more than 20 violations of the flight restrictions over Mar-a-Lago since Trump took office — including one that happened about 8:50 a.m. Saturday, according to a NORAD news release.
The week before, NORAD jets escorted three pilots out of the restricted airspace within about two hours, NORAD said.
Trump’s visits to Mar-a-Lago trigger the temporary flight restrictions, which apply to all aircraft — including commercial jetliners arriving and departing from Palm Beach International Airport. Trump’s most recent stay at Mar-a-Lago — his fifth since taking office on Jan. 20 — began Friday evening.
The FAA issued a notice of temporary flight restrictions for the airspace over Mar-a-Lago beginning at 6:45 p.m. Friday and scheduled to end at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
Pilots are diverted away from Trump’s private club in Palm Beach, blanketing homes and businesses in surrounding areas with the sounds of jet traffic to which they are not normally accustomed.
Trump arrived at Palm Beach International Airport on Friday evening after delivering remarks at a White House digital assets summit, marking his fifth visit to Mar-a-Lago since taking office. Billionaire Elon Musk, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and aide Walt Nauta accompanied him.
Contributing: Hannah Phillips, Palm Beach Post
Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at [email protected]. Subscribe today to support our journalism.