Cessna 337 Skymaster: NORAD Fighters intercept plane over Charleston, South Carolina

Two F-16 fighters under the direction of North American Aerospace Defense Command intercepted a Cessna 337 general aviation aircraft in the vicinity of Charleston, South Carolina, today at approximately 11:20 a.m. EST.

The aircraft was designated a track of interest because of an apparent discrepancy between its track and flight plan. Once it was intercepted and identified, the aircraft landed at the Charleston Executive Airport without further incident. The pilot was directed to contact the Federal Aviation Administration for further direction.

NORAD's mission – in close collaboration with homeland defense, security, and law enforcement partners – is to prevent air attacks against North America, safeguard the sovereign airspaces of the United States and Canada by responding to unknown, unwanted and unauthorized air activity approaching and operating within these airspaces, and provide aerospace and maritime warning for North America.

NORAD is the bi-national Canadian and American command that is responsible for the air defense of North America and maritime warning. The command has three subordinate regional headquarters: the Alaskan NORAD Region at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska; the Canadian NORAD Region at Winnipeg, Manitoba; and the Continental NORAD Region at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. The command is poised both tactically and strategically in our nation’s capital to provide a multilayered defense to detect, deter and prevent potential threats flying over the airspace of the United States and Canada.

http://www.norad.mil

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