F-15 Sent To Usher Plane Out Of Airspace Restricted While Obama Is In LA
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — A fighter jet was sent to intercept a small plane Thursday in airspace restricted because of President Barack Obama's visit to Los Angeles, but the plane turned around when the pilot realized his error.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor says there's no indication the airspace violation Thursday night by the Cessna 340 was intentional.
Lt. Col. Michael Jazdyk of the North American Aerospace Defense Command says the pilot took off from Bakersfield about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles. He was not following his flight plan and was out of communication with the FAA when the F-15 was sent about 5:20 p.m. But communication was soon regained, and the pilot returned to Bakersfield.
The response created quite a stir, startling neighbors who said they heard a noise like none other exploding in the sky and wondered what was going on.
KCAL9's Laurie Perez spoke with the Pilz family, who described what they saw outside of their home in Calabasas.
A spokesman said what neighbors most likely heard was the F-15's vibrations reverberating off of the mountains, Perez reported.
The president was at a fundraiser at the Brentwood home of actress Gwyneth Paltrow on Thursday evening.
According to officials, the pilot is not facing any charges.
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