Fighter jets were forced to intercept a wayward plane over Suffolk County Monday night after the small aircraft pierced a temporary no-fly zone, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
The plane was escorted to MacArthur Airport by two F-15 jets around 7 p.m. and landed without incident, according to a NORAD statement.
The no-fly zone over the island was in effect because President Obama was campaigning in Connecticut Monday.
Officials have not released the identity of the pilot who was flying alone on a home-built Kitfox, the Daily News reported.
A second aircraft also flying in a restricted area in New Haven, Conn., was intercepted by the fighter jets around 7:30 p.m. That plane was allowed to continue to its final destination, NORAD said.
Many local residents said they saw the jets soar over their homes.
"I watched it fly over my house several times," Dan Olawski of Lake Ronkonkoma wrote on Facebook. "Was a little nerve-wracking."
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