Biden Evacuated From Beach Home After Plane Enters Restricted Airspace

WASHINGTON — President Biden was briefly evacuated Saturday from his seaside residence in Rehoboth Seaside, Del., after a small non-public airplane by accident flew into restricted airspace, in accordance with White Home and Secret Service officers.

Mr. Biden arrived in Rehoboth Seaside on Thursday night and is scheduled to return to the White Home on Sunday. Officers mentioned the president was not in peril in the course of the incident.

A White Home official instructed reporters that Mr. Biden and the primary woman have been briefly evacuated after which returned to their residence.

“A small non-public airplane entered restricted airspace, all indications are by mistake, and precautionary measures have been taken,” the official mentioned. “There was no menace to the president or his household.”

Steve Kopek, a spokesman for the Secret Service, mentioned that the airplane entered restricted airspace shortly earlier than 1 p.m. Saturday.

“The plane was instantly escorted out of the restricted airspace,” Mr. Kopek mentioned in an announcement. He didn’t present extra particulars, however a number of individuals within the space tweeted that they noticed two army jets flying overhead across the similar time.

Officers didn’t present particulars about Mr. Biden’s evacuation. However there have been public studies that his motorcade was seen driving into a neighborhood fireplace station Saturday afternoon, after which seen leaving the station a couple of half-hour later. Rehoboth Avenue, a principal business artery, was shut down briefly, individuals mentioned on Twitter.

Officers mentioned solely that precautions have been taken.

Mr. Kopek mentioned that it appeared that the pilot of the small airplane was unaware of the president’s presence in Delaware and of the airspace restrictions that got here together with it.

“Preliminary investigation reveals the pilot was not on the right radio channel, was not following the NOTAMS (Discover to Airmen) that had been filed and was not following revealed flight steerage,” he mentioned within the assertion. “The US Secret Service will likely be interviewing the pilot.”

Mr. Biden owns a $2.7 million seaside residence within the North Shores, a rich neighborhood one mile north of city. He bought the house in 2017 and continuously makes use of it for holidays and for transient weekend visits.