According to the White House and the Secret Service, a small private plane accidentally entered restricted airspace near President Joe Biden’s Delaware vacation home Saturday, leading the president and his wife to be immediately evacuated.
The White House stated that there was no danger to Biden or his family and that preventive precautions had been taken. Biden and his wife, Jill, returned to their Rehoboth Beach home after the situation was appraised.
The Secret Service said the plane was immediately escorted out of the restricted airspace after “inadvertently approaching a guarded area.” According to preliminary investigation, the pilot was not on the right radio channel and was not following published flying guidance; therefore, the agency said it will interrogate him.
Before Biden visited the beach town, the Federal Aviation Administration issued flight regulations, as is customary for presidential excursions outside of Washington. The restrictions include a no-fly zone with a 10-mile radius within a 30-mile restricted zone.
A news reporter on Twitter claimed to have seen Biden driving to a Rehoboth Beach fire station. However, the president’s media crew did not accompany him in the motorcade.
Federal regulations compel pilots to check for flight restrictions along their route before takeoff. Unfortunately, accidental airspace violations continue to be common, especially near temporarily prohibited zones.
Military aeroplanes and Coast Guard helicopters are frequently employed to intercept planes that violate the president’s flight restrictions. Intercepted planes are diverted to a nearby airfield, where law enforcement interviews the crews and assesses potential criminal or civil penalties.