PALM BEACH, Florida – With President Donald Trump spending this weekend at the “Winter White House” at Mar-a-Lago, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, dispatched F-16 fighter jets Sunday to intercept a general aviation aircraft that violated airspace restrictions over the town of Palm Beach.
Officials say the civilian aircraft violated the Temporary Flight Restriction, or TFR, at approximately 1:15 p.m. Eastern and the plane was safely escorted out of the area by NORAD aircraft.
“During the intercept, NORAD aircraft dispensed flares, which may have been visible to the public. The flares were used to draw attention from or communicate with the pilot,” said 2nd Lt. Tyler Turnmire of NORAD. “Flares are employed with the highest regard for safety, burn out quickly and completely, and pose no danger to people on the ground.”
Today, NORAD F-16 aircraft responded to a civilian aircraft that entered restricted airspace under a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over Palm Beach, Florida. The situation was resolved safely.
If intercepted:
· Tune to 121.5 or 243.0
· Follow Instructions
· Reverse course… https://t.co/gumxOyq1vf— North American Aerospace Defense Command (@NORADCommand) March 29, 2026
Mark Meredith of Fox News reports the U.S. Secret Service which protects the commander in chief indicated “there was no threat to Trump or his plane” which is parked at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach.
WATCH:
JUST IN: NORAD dispatched F-16 FIGHTER jets after a private aircraft entered a no-fly zone near President Trump in Florida
Then the F-16s had to throw out FLAIRS to even GET the unaware pilot’s attention!
There is NO threat to Trump’s safety at this time, and the Secret… pic.twitter.com/yAQ2McchXG
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 29, 2026
Violations of restricted airspace near the president’s home have occurred numerous times since Trump was re-elected in 2024.
As WorldNetDaily reported in March 2025, more than 20 airspace violations in Palm Beach took place since Trump’s second inauguration, with F-16s intercepting civilian aircraft at those times.
Comments concerning the latest airspace violations include:
“Next time just shoot the f***er out of the sky. There is NO way in hell you ‘accidentally’ find your way into a no fly zone! BLOW IT OUT OF THE SKY NEXT TIME.”
“Sure the F-16s had to throw out FLARES to even GET the unaware pilot’s attention! The Pilot knew what he or she was doing. Sounds like bull**** to me.
“This is Iran in my opinion. We must fund DHS now.”
Follow Joe on X @JoeKovacsNews
‘Pilots, please!’ U.S. fighter jets scramble AGAIN near Trump’s home
F-16 fighter jets scramble near Trump’s Florida home as numerous aircraft violate airspace