US Fighter Jets Intercept 2 Small Planes In Obama Airspace

(Reuters) - Two F-15 fighter jets intercepted two small planes that strayed into President Barack Obama's airspace during a campaign visit to Connecticut on Monday and the planes landed without incident, media reports said.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command said the fighter jets intercepted a small plane over Long Island, New York, at 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT) and followed it until it landed, and that the pilot was met by law enforcement authorities.

Roughly half an hour later, the jets intercepted a second small plane in Connecticut near New Haven, but it was allowed to continue to its destination, NORAD said in a statement.

A local NBC affiliate, NBC Connecticut, reported on its web site that the planes had entered airspace temporarily restricted during Obama's visit to the state.

Obama was in Connecticut on Monday evening for a campaign event at the Stamford Marriott and later at a private residence in Westport, according to a schedule posted on the White House website

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