Military intercepts of aircraft decrease - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

Military intercepts of aircraft decrease

WASHINGTON — The number of times military fighters have been ordered to intercept planes straying into restricted airspace has declined by about 50 percent during the past two years.

Officials attribute the decline to tighter coordination among federal agencies and a growing awareness of flight restrictions among private and commercial pilots since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The Federal Aviation Administration and law enforcement agencies are getting better at identifying planes by checking records and flight plans before scrambling a fighter to get a closer look, said Air Force Col. John Zentner, operations officer for the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

Through mid-December, military fighter jets were dispatched 123times in 2008 to intercept commercial or private planes that violated airspace restrictions, according to NORAD. That’s down from 245 times in 2006.

Despite the decrease, civilian aircraft continue to regularly stray into restricted airspace, sometimes prompting fighter planes to intercept them.

The violations are an “an ongoing challenge for us,” said Gen. Victor Renuart, commander of NORAD, which is responsible for protecting airspace over the U.S. and Canada.

There has never been an accident involving military fighters intercepting civilian aircraft. Still, having armed fighters flying near sometimes inexperienced pilots worries civilian aviators.

“Any time you have two aircraft operating in close proximity the potential for an accident increases,” said Chris Dancy, a spokesman for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

There were 338 violations involving pilots straying into restricted airspace in 2008 as of Dec. 17, according to NORAD. Most violators were private pilots. Not all the violations triggered an intercept. None of the aircraft posed a threat, NORAD said.

Military officials said there are strict procedures in place to avoid mistakes. A decision to fire on a civilian plane would have to be made by the defense secretary or designated military officials if he cannot be reached.

Their procedures are done at a safe distance so an inexperienced civilian pilot doesn’t become alarmed.

Most civilian pilots quickly notice a fighter jet flying near them and follow instructions to divert or land at a nearby field. The pilot “realizes something is not right,” Zentner said.

Fighter planes are generally sent up when officials are unable to make radio contact with an aircraft or it is not emitting signals from its transponder.

Temporary flight restrictions cause the most confusion for civilian pilots, since they are sometimes set on short notice and pilots may not be aware of them.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, the number of such temporary zones has increased dramatically, often confusing pilots.

Flight restrictions often follow the president as he travels. Additional flight restrictions are placed around Crawford, Texas, when President George W. Bush is there. The military has had high-performance fighters “chasing around after a crop-duster down there,” Renuart said.

Pilots gone astray in recent years, according to NORAD:

* 2006 -- 536 airspace violations; 245 fighters sent to investigate

* 2007 -- 388 airspace violations; 136 fighters sent to investigate

* 2008 -- 338 airspace violations; 123 fighters sent to investigate (through Dec. 17)