An F-16 fighter jet employed a “headbutt” technique to intercept an aircraft flying near President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida last Friday, according to the U.S. military.
The military has been closely monitoring the airspace around Mar-a-Lago since Trump took office in January, recording numerous airspace violations. The Air Force announced on Friday that it had responded to “over 20 tracks of interest” above Palm Beach since Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
The First Air Force at Florida’s Tyndall Air Force Base stated that North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) F-16 aircraft intercepted a “general aviation aircraft” over Palm Beach at approximately 10:50 a.m. ET on April 4. This term refers to non-commercial civilian aircraft.
The NORAD aircraft executed a “headbutt maneuver” to gain the civilian pilot’s attention before safely escorting the aircraft from the area. This maneuver typically involves a fighter jet flying extremely close to another aircraft and cutting in front of its nose to alert the pilot.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issues Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) to aircrews, which are enforced by NORAD. TFRs are commonly implemented during presidential visits to ensure safety.
On the same day, Trump was playing golf at Mar-a-Lago, following a series of extensive tariff announcements that had caused significant reactions in global markets.
Pilots in the air are responsible for checking Notices to Airmen, or NOTAMs, which provide critical information about airspace restrictions. Last month, U.S. Air Force fighter jets intercepted an aircraft that violated a TFR by flying over Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, marking the second time in 48 hours that F-16s from the Continental U.S. NORAD region had responded to airspace violations over Palm Beach.
“NORAD has responded to over 20 tracks of interest entering the Palm Beach, Florida TFR area” since Trump’s inauguration, the statement noted.
During the intercept, the fighters launched flares that were likely visible to the public to draw attention to or communicate with the pilot of the civilian aircraft. NORAD clarified that the flares “burn out quickly and completely, and pose no danger to people on the ground.”
The incident occurred while Trump was at his Palm Beach golf course, as reported by the White House press pool.
“Adherence to TFR procedures is essential to ensure flight safety, national security, and the security of the President,” said Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of NORAD and the U.S. Northern Command. He emphasized that the procedures are not optional and noted that the excessive number of recent TFR violations indicates that many civil aviators are not reading NOTAMs before each flight, leading to multiple responses by NORAD fighter aircraft to guide offending aircraft out of the TFR.
The Air Force explained that it utilizes a “layered” network of radars, satellites, and fighter jets to detect and address potential threats. “The identification and monitoring of civilian aircraft demonstrate how NORAD executes its aerospace warning and control missions for the United States and Canada,” the Air Force stated.
NORAD and U.S. Northern Command commander General Gregory Guillot reiterated that NORAD and the FAA work closely together to maintain safety in U.S. airspace. The FAA will continue to issue TFRs around Mar-a-Lago, enforced by NORAD.
In a separate incident, the U.S. Secret Service shot an armed man during a confrontation near the White House on Sunday, noting that the incident occurred just after midnight. Officers encountered the armed individual about a block away from the White House on the west side of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
