US President Biden evacuated after plane flies over beach house
United States (US) President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden were briefly evacuated in Delaware on Saturday after an air space breach near their holiday home. White House officials claimed there was no danger to Biden or his family and that precautions have been taken. Biden and his wife Jill reportedly returned to their Rehoboth Beach home after the situation was evaluated.
What did the White House say about the incident?
As per the White House, a small private plane accidentally flew into restricted air space over Biden's beach house on Saturday. As soon as the security team saw the plane they put an alert and temporarily relocated the president and the first lady to a secure location. "The President and the First Lady are safe and there was not an attack," officials told AFP.
Pilot was on wrong radio channel: Secret Service
The Secret Service, which is in charge of protecting the president, stated that the plane entered a protected area by mistake and was quickly escorted away. It said the pilot is being interviewed and the initial investigation revealed that he was on the wrong radio channel and violated published flight guidelines. Biden and First Lady Jill Biden later returned to their residence, officials said.
Customary no-fly zone guidelines for the president
As is common for presidential visits, the Federal Aviation Administration enforced flight restrictions before Biden's visit to the seaside resort. The restrictions include a 10-mile radius no-fly zone contained within a 30-mile restricted zone. Earlier, CBS reported that their reporter witnessed Biden driving to a Rehoboth Beach fire station. The president's press entourage was not in the motorcade.
SOPs to handle airspace breaches
Before taking off, pilots are required by federal regulations to check for flying restrictions along their route. Accidental airspace breaches still occur, particularly near temporally prohibited zones. Military airplanes and Coast Guard helicopters are frequently spotted intercepting planes that violate the president's flight restrictions. Intercepted planes are routed to a nearby airfield, where aircrews question them and, if necessary, take appropriate action.
