Three Aircraft Intercepted by F-16s in Presidential Airspace

Three GA aircraft were intercepted by F-16s in the past two days after busting a presidential TFR in the airspace surrounding Los Angeles, marking the latest in a growing string of TFR busts in the area since February.

On Wednesday night, the offending airplane was a single-engine Cessna, which was intercepted northwest of L.A. around 5 p.m. and forced to land in the city of Camarillo. On Thursday morning, F-16s then intercepted a Cessna 206 and a Piper Cherokee around 9:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. respectively. Both aircraft landed without further incident.

President Obama has been in Los Angeles for a fundraising event and was scheduled to leave on Thursday.

Last month a Piper Cherokee was intercepted in Los Angeles after breaching a presidential TFR just before President Obama was scheduled to take off from LAX.

Likewise, in February a Cessna 182 was escorted down by dual F-16s after entering airspace shared by Marine One. When authorities apprehended the pilot upon landing, a search of his aircraft uncovered 40 pounds of marijuana.

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