US fighter jet intercepts plane near Obama

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WASHINGTON: An F-15E fighter jet rushed out Saturday to intercept a small passenger plane flying near the presidential retreat of Camp David, where President Barack Obama is relaxing, US military officials said.

The fighter jet intercepted the plane around 1:20 pm (1720 GMT) as it flew into restricted airspace, North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a statement.

"The civilian aircraft, which was out of radio communication, was intercepted approximately six miles (10 kilometers) from Camp David," NORAD added.

The jet fighter "escorted the aircraft out of the area and it landed at Hagerstown, Maryland, without incident."

The statement described the plane as a "two-seat general aviation aircraft," without providing any further details.

NORAD spokeswoman Angela Young told AFP that the civilian plane's occupants were flying between two Maryland towns and were released without charge.