NORAD F-16s Intercept Civilian Plane Over 3-Mile World Cup No-Fly Zone
Updated
Updated · Newsweek · Jul 18
NORAD F-16s Intercept Civilian Plane Over 3-Mile World Cup No-Fly Zone
3 articles · Updated · Newsweek · Jul 18
Summary
F-16s intercepted a small general aviation aircraft at about 4:18 p.m. ET Friday after it entered temporary restricted airspace over New York City ahead of the World Cup final.
NORAD said the jets fired flares to get the pilot’s attention, then safely escorted the plane out; no injuries or damage were reported.
The incident was the first airspace violation of a weekend security operation covering the New York-New Jersey area, where multiple FAA restrictions run from Friday through Sunday.
A 3-nautical-mile, 3,000-foot flight ban is in force around MetLife Stadium for Sunday’s final, while separate 1-nautical-mile drone restrictions cover fan sites including Rockefeller Center.
Argentina and Spain play the final at 3 p.m. ET Sunday in East Rutherford, closing the expanded 48-team, 104-game tournament across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.