U.S. F-15 fighters began trailing a private aircraft that became unresponsive on Friday, as the jet headed toward Cuban airspace.
An Air Force official told the Associated Press that the fighter jets were dispatched after a Socata TBM-700 business plane failed to responded to air traffic control.
The plane took off from Rochester, N.Y., this morning en route to Naples, Fla.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, was tracking the unresponsive aircraft, tweeting out several updates on the situation:
#NORAD F-15 fighter jets are currently escorting an unresponsive small aircraft over the Atlantic, possible hypoxia. More to follow.
— NORAD & USNORTHCOM (@NoradNorthcom) September 5, 2014
Unresponsive aircraft took off from this morning from Rochester NY with flight plan to Naples FL. #NORAD
— NORAD & USNORTHCOM (@NoradNorthcom) September 5, 2014
Plane is a Socata TBM-700 light business and utility aircraft. Occupants unresponsive to #NORAD attempts to communicate.
— NORAD & USNORTHCOM (@NoradNorthcom) September 5, 2014
CNN’s Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr also tweeted that the U.S. Coast Guard is communicating with Cuban officials about the plane as the jet approaches Cuban airspace:
BREAKING: @USCG talking to #Cuba authorities about US bizjet headed for their airspace @NoradNorthcom F-15s trailing. won’t enter #Cuba
— Barbara Starr (@barbarastarrcnn) September 5, 2014