F-16 fighter jet intercepts civilian plane in restricted airspace over Western Maryland

An F-16 fighter jet intercepted a civilian plane that was flying through restricted airspace over Hagerstown on Saturday afternoon, military officials said.

The plane had violated a VIP Temporary Flight Restriction in the region, said the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD. The restriction is effectively a no-fly zone declared by the Federal Aviation Administration, often in relation to the movements of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance or other high-ranking members of the U.S. government, according to the National Business Aviation Association. They are also infrequently established for foreign leaders or large events like the Super Bowl.

After intercepting the civilian plane at around 12:20 p.m., the F-16 monitored the aircraft as it landed safely at a nearby airport, NORAD said. In a social media post about the interception, the military branch urged aviators to “stay sharp” and check for airspace restrictions “before every flight.”

Temporary flight restrictions are communicated to pilots through Notices to Airmen, or NOTAMs, and they prohibit all aircraft and drones from operating in a certain airspace without permission for a designated period of time, the FAA’s website says. Those who violate these restrictions “can face sanctions ranging from warnings or fines to certificate suspensions or revocations,” according to the agency, which notes that penalties vary based on circumstances.

It’s not uncommon for military jets to intercept civilian planes that have entered restricted airspace. Last month, F-16 fighters intercepted a civilian plane that flew through a restricted zone over Washington, D.C., NORAD said at the time. The agency warned earlier in June that its jets had responded “to more than a dozen unauthorized aircraft incursions” in the New York and New Jersey region since the beginning of the month, urging pilots to be more vigilant.

In New Jersey, pilots with the state’s Air National Guard responded to an uptick in airspace violations last summer in an area above Trump’s golf club in the town of Bedminster, according to NORAD.

WJZ is a media partner of The Banner.