Air Force Intercepts Aircraft in Restricted Zone Near Mar-A-Lago

U.S. Air Force fighter jets intercepted an aircraft that flew over President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in violation of a temporary flight restriction on Sunday, NORAD said.

It was the second time in 48 hours F-16s from the Continental U.S. NORAD region had responded to such aircraft violations over Palm Beach, Fla., per a statement from the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

"NORAD has responded to over 20 tracks of interest entering the Palm Beach, Florida TFR area" since Trump's presidential inauguration on Jan. 20, according to the statement.

The jets fired flares that may have been visible to members of the public during the intercept "to draw attention from or communicate with the pilot" of the civilian aircraft, NORAD said.

Flares "burn out quickly and completely, and pose no danger to people on the ground," the statement added.

Sunday's incident occurred while Trump was at his West Palm Beach golf course, according to a White House pool report.

"Adherence to TFR procedures is essential to ensure flight safety, national security, and the security of the President," said Gen. Gregory Guillot, Commander, NORAD and US Northern Command.

"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 FAA, and has resulted in multiple responses by NORAD fighter aircraft to guide offending aircraft out of the TFR."