THE LATEST
The unresponsive plane NORAD had been tracking has now crossed over into Cuban airspace, so the fighter jets that had been dispatched have now been called off. Officials with NORAD had previously contacted authorities in Cuba to notify them of the unresponsive plane that was heading in their direction.
The jets began escorting the aircraft at around 11:30 a.m. Eastern after the occupants stopped responding to communication attempts. CNN reports that a spokesperson for NORAD said the windows of the plane were frosted over and that it was unclear how fuel the plane had left.
Other unresponsive planes recently
Earlier this week, a pair of fighter jets also escorted another unresponsive plane. That one took off from Wisconsin and was headed for Manassas, Va., which is in the Washington, D.C. area. It crashed in the Atlantic Ocean after running out of fuel. The U.S. Coast Guard had reported that the pilot, who was the only one on board, looked to be unconscious and was slumped over in the pilot’s seat while the plane flew. The crash is under investigation.
NORAD also sent jets to monitor another plane that was en route to Toronto last week, according to The Washington Post.
PREVIOUSLY
An unresponsive plane has been spotted flying over the Atlantic Ocean, and officials have dispatched a pair of F-15 fighter jets to investigate. They are now escorting the plane, which was en route to Naples, Fla. from Rochester, N.Y.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said on Twitter that it is tracking the plane because its occupants have not responded to any communication attempts. Officials said they may be suffering from low levels of oxygen, which is known as hypoxia. The plane is a Socata TBM-700, a small aircraft used for business and utility purposes.
NORAD said it is currently working with the Federal Aviation Administration in monitoring the unresponsive plane.
