Fighter Jets Intercept Small Plane Over Santa Cruz

Fighter jets punched through the Santa Cruz skies and shook the ground Monday around noon, because of a plane that had violated restricted air space while President Barack Obama was in Mountain View, according to Army Col. Mike Humphreys of the North American Aerospace Defense Command in Colorado Springs.

"There were four separate incidents over San Jose," he said, counting Santa Cruz in that airspace.

People in Santa Cruz saw the jets encounter a small orange-and-yellow biplane.

The small plane seen along the Santa Cruz coast was escorted to the , and the pilot was in talks with the airport's operations supervisor after landing, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported.

The pilot spoke with the Register Pajaronian newspaper and said he knew what was going on as soon as he saw the fighter jet.

"I knew what was up and returned to Watsonville. I should have read the logs," the Register Pajaronian quoted the pilot, who declined to give his name, as saying.

In cases such as this, the fighter jets contact the smaller planes and instruct them to land at an airport, where the Federal Aviation Administration may conduct an investigation.

"When someone violates an air restriction, the nearest traffic facility reports the tail numbers and looks up ownership and contacts the pilot and says we need to talk," said Ian Gregor, public affairs officer with the FAA.

"Speaking generally, people who contact temporary flight restrictions typically face suspensions of their pilot's license."

Pilots are supposed to check the FAA map located here to see temporary airspace restrictions. They are also given electronic reports through subscriptions so they can check daily conditions.