WASHINGTON — A security scare at Palm Beach International Airport Sunday prompted the Air Force to scramble F-16 fighter jets and deploy flares — hours before Air Force One was slated to fly President Trump back to DC.
Authorities imposed a ground stop at the airport as they rushed to confront the civilian aircraft.
The White House said that the security scare took place after authorities lost communication with a general aviation plane.
“The civilian aircraft violated the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) at approximately 1:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The aircraft was safely escorted out of the area by NORAD aircraft,” the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service explained in a statement shared by the North American Aerospace Defense Command — which controls the airspace over the US and Canada.
“The flares were used to draw attention from or communicate with the pilot. Flares are employed with the highest regard for safety, burn out quickly and completely, and pose no danger to people on the ground.”
The White House and Secret Service said that neither Air Force One nor Trump was in danger.
“A general aviation aircraft was briefly out of communication with the air traffic control tower at Palm Beach International Airport, but contact was ultimately established and the ground stop was lifted,” a White House official told The Post.
“There was no drone incursion or concern regarding Air Force One, which is not slated to take off until this evening.”The president was at Trump International Golf Course during the time of the security incident at Palm Beach International Airport.
Initial reports suggested that some sort of drone incursion at the airport triggered the ground stop, with footage showing a Delta pilot informing passengers of the security scare.
The pilot claimed that “they had to scramble some helicopters to go and investigate” the situation.
A Secret Service spokesperson said that the helicopter seen taking off was likely not related to the security scare.
“While airspace violations are relatively common, particularly outside of Washington, DC, that helicopter referenced in the tweet was actually authorized for that specific area and was not related to a drone or Temporary Flight Restriction, TFR, violation,” the spokesperson said.
When asked for comment about the ordeal, the Federal Aviation Administration told The Post that “Operations are normal after the FAA slowed traffic at Palm Beach International Airport due to volume,” but declined to give an on-the-record explanation about the ground stop.
