A private plane mistakenly entered restricted airspace near US President Joe Biden’s vacation home in Delaware, prompting the president and first lady to briefly evacuate on Saturday, the White House and US Secret Service said. USA.
The White House assured that there was no threat to Biden or his family and that precautionary measures had been taken. After assessing the situation, Biden and his wife, Jill, returned to their Rehoboth Beach residence.
In a statement, the Secret Service said the plane was immediately escorted out of restricted airspace following “mistakenly entering a secure area.” The agency said it will interview the pilot who, according to a preliminary investigation, was not on the correct radio channel and was not following the published flight plan.
As is customary for presidential trips outside of Washington, the Federal Aviation Administration earlier this week released flight restrictions ahead of Biden’s visit to the beach. The restrictions include a 10-mile (16-kilometre) no-fly zone contained within a 30-mile (48-kilometre) restricted zone.
A CBS News reporter said on Twitter that he saw Biden motoring toward a fire station in Rehoboth Beach. The group of reporters traveling with the president was not part of that caravan.
Federal regulations require pilots to review flight restrictions on their route before taking off. Still, accidental airspace violations, especially around temporary restricted areas, are common.
Military planes and US Coast Guard helicopters are often used to intercept any aircraft violating flight restrictions near the president.