After more than 20 similar incidents since January, U.S. Air Force F-16s rushed twice in two days to intercept civilian aircraft that were breaching restricted airspace over President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. Since Trump’s January 2025 inauguration, the Palm Beach region has seen more than 20 airspace violations. The mandatory Notice to Airmen (NOTAMs) must be read by many civilian pilots prior to flights, according to NORAD officials.
Back-to-Back Airspace Violations Trigger Military Response
The United States Air Force was forced to scramble F-16 fighter jets twice over the weekend to intercept civilian aircraft that violated restricted airspace near President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida. The first incident occurred Saturday morning at approximately 8:50 a.m., when North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) F-16s successfully intercepted an aircraft that had entered the restricted zone. The fighter jets escorted the civilian plane out of the area without further incident.
Just over 24 hours later, on Sunday at approximately 1:15 p.m., military personnel were again called to action when another civilian aircraft breached the same restricted airspace. During this second interception, the F-16s deployed flares as a visual warning to capture the pilot’s attention before escorting the aircraft out of the restricted zone. These dramatic measures highlight the seriousness with which military authorities treat these violations.
BREAKING – US Fighter jets intercept aircraft over Mar-a-Lago… Officials provide a major update.https://t.co/B5dSy1nn7r
— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) March 10, 2025
Mounting Concerns Over Repeated Violations
These weekend incidents are not isolated incidents. Since President Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, authorities have documented more than 20 airspace violations in the Palm Beach area. In February alone, three separate airspace violations were recorded during the President’s visit to Mar-a-Lago. Newsmax has reported that on one recent Saturday, three different aircraft required F-16 escorts after entering the restricted zone.
“NORAD and the FAA work closely together to keep the skies over America safe, with close attention paid to areas with Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR).”
The Secret Service has launched investigations into these multiple airspace violations. The recurring nature of these incidents raises questions about whether they represent simple navigational errors by civilian pilots or potentially more concerning patterns that require enhanced security measures. Officials have not released details about the pilots involved or their explanations for entering restricted airspace.
On March 1, 2025, three civilian planes broke through the restricted airspace over US President Donald Trump's Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, and were intercepted by F-16 fighter jets.
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) F-16 fighter aircraft from the Continental U.S.… pic.twitter.com/rPkZX7ygV6
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) March 2, 2025
Military and FAA Officials Stress Compliance
General Gregory Guillot, Commander of NORAD and US Northern Command, has expressed frustration over what appears to be widespread neglect of flight regulations by civilian pilots. The high number of violations suggests many pilots are failing to read mandatory Notice to Airmen (NOTAMs) before their flights as required by Federal Aviation Administration regulations. These notices clearly identify restricted airspace and are essential for maintaining both aviation safety and national security.
“Adherence to TFR procedures is essential to ensure flight safety, national security, and the security of the President. 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. Should the pilot of an aircraft happen to find itself intercepted by one of the fighters or helicopters, they should immediately come up on frequency 121.5 or 243.0 and turn around to reverse course until receiving additional instructions on one of those frequencies.”
Military officials have provided clear instructions for pilots who find themselves intercepted by fighter jets or helicopters: immediately tune to emergency frequencies 121.5 or 243.0, reverse course, and await further instructions. The use of flares and other interception tactics demonstrates the serious security implications of these violations and the readiness of military forces to respond to potential threats near presidential locations.