Crime & Safety

UPDATE: Fighter Jets Escort Plane To Wall Airport After Violating No-Fly Zone

FBI and a host of authorities met plane at Route 34 airport.

A small plane flew into restricted airspace in New York Monday and was escorted to the Monmouth Executive Airport by F-16 fighter jets, officials said.

At the request of the FBI, Wall Township police responded to the airport to secure the plane around 4:45 p.m. Monday, according to a Police Department release.

The Wall Township Detective Bureau, Wall Township K9 Unit, Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, and the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Department responded, the release says.    

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The restricted airspace is part of the general security in preparation for this weeks U.N. General Assembly, according to a federal official, as reported by WNBC-TV in New York.

Another temporary restriction has been put in place for New York on Wednesday, according to the FAA.

Find out what's happening in Matawan-Aberdeenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

There was no word late Monday whether there were any arrests in connection with the incident.

The F-16s were flying under the direction of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD. They were scrambled multiple times Monday for planes that were out of communication and flying into a Temporary Flight Restricted area over New York City, where the United Nations had convened, according to a NORAD release.

NORAD is the Canadian and American command responsible for the air defense of North America and maritime warning.


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