TEHRAN, Sep. 12 (MNA) – A small plane that entered airspace closed for President Joe Biden’s visit to Anchorage on Monday was intercepted by a NORAD F-16 fighter jet that shot flares at it to get the pilot’s attention, military officials said.
The plane, reported by Anchorage residents as a Piper PA-18 Super Cub, entered closed airspace over the Anchorage Bowl about 11:50 a.m., said US Air Force and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson spokesman Staff Sgt. Michael Pfeiffer. The jet escorted it to a nearby airport, the statement said.
The airport wasn’t named, and many details about the incident remained unclear late Monday. Military officials and others didn’t immediately respond to additional questions about what happened.
“During this event, the fighter aircraft dispensed flares — that may have been visible to the public — to gain attention from the pilot,” Pfeiffer wrote in a statement. “Flares were employed with the highest regard for safety of the intercepted aircraft and people on the ground.”
One or more fighter jets were seen and heard by people all over the city while Biden arrived at JBER and spoke on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The president stopped in Alaska while returning from a trip to Asia.
MNA/PR
Source: Mehr News