US president Joe Biden and the first lady were evacuated from their holiday home after a small private plane accidentally entered restricted airspace, the White House and Secret Service said.
The White House said there was no threat to Mr Biden or his wife, Jill, who returned to their Rehoboth Beach home in Delaware after the situation was assessed.
The plane was immediately escorted from the restricted airspace after “mistakenly entering a secured area”, the Secret Service said.
The agency said it will interview the pilot who, according to a preliminary investigation, was not on the proper radio channel or following published flight guidance.
As is standard practice for presidential trips outside Washington, the Federal Aviation Administration published flight restrictions earlier this week before Mr Biden’s beach town visit.
The restrictions include a 10-mile radius no-fly zone contained within a 30-mile restricted area.
A CBS News reporter said on Twitter he saw Mr Biden motorcading to a Rehoboth Beach fire station.
The group of reporters that travels with the president was not part of the motorcade.
Federal regulations require pilots to check for flight restrictions along their route before taking off.
Still, accidental airspace breaches, particularly around temporary restricted zones, are common.
US military jets and Coastguard helicopters are often used to intercept planes that violate the flight restrictions around the president.
Intercepted planes are diverted to a nearby airfield where aircrews are interviewed and face potential criminal or civil penalties.
