Update: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Sunday that it has unexpectedly lifted the “national defense airspace” declaration over a portion of Lake Michigan.
The FAA has not provided an explanation for its initial ban on civilian air traffic in the area over Lake Michigan on Sunday, followed by a lifting of the ban hours later. The FAA had previously established a national defense airspace in Montana earlier this weekend in response to a reported sighting of an unidentified flying object.
The Federal Aviation Administration lifted its ban on air traffic over Montana on Saturday after North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) issued a statement claiming that the detected object was simply a radar malfunction.
However, Representative Matt Rosendale, a Republican from Montana, stated in a tweet that NORTHCOM still believes that there is a real object present above the state and not just a technical error.
According to the congressman, he is in ongoing communication with NORTHCOM and has been informed that they are confident that there is indeed an object and it is not a radar glitch. Rep. Rosendale is currently waiting for visual confirmation, adding that the safety and security of the nation is his top priority.
On Saturday, NORAD released a statement saying that it had picked up a radar signal and dispatched fighter jets to investigate.
However, the aircraft failed to locate any object that could have caused the radar readings. The statement added that NORAD would continue to keep a close watch on the situation.
The United States has taken down three aircraft in the past week, including a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina and two smaller balloons, which were believed to have been shot down over Alaska and Canada, respectively.
Original Story:
United States closes airspace over parts of Lake Michigan, NOTAM states “national defense airspace.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Sunday that it has declared a “national defense airspace” over a portion of Lake Michigan, without specifying the reason for the ban on civilian air traffic in the area.
According to the FAA’s Sunday announcement, pilots who fail to comply with the specified procedure may be intercepted, detained, and questioned by law enforcement or security personnel. The FAA also warned that such pilots may be met with deadly force in the air.
This comes after the FAA established a similar national defense airspace in Montana over the weekend in response to a reported sighting of an unidentified flying object.
There are fighter jets up with support from a KC-135 tanker out of Pittsburgh.
This is a developing story that will be updated when more information is available.
