Re: "Have you ever heard of a plane being shot down in the US because if "deviated from its flight path"?"
GV clearly states that Presidential Authority is required before a plane can be shot down.
Remember the Payne Stewart incident involving a Learjet with 6 on board?
Military Aircraft Tracked Jet
According to an Air Force summary, after contact was initially lost, two F-15s from Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., were sent to track the Learjet. The F-15s pulled back and two F-16s in the air from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., moved in to track the aircraft.
After the Learjet reached the Midwest, the Eglin F-16s pulled off and four F-16s and a midair refueling tanker from the Tulsa National Guard followed it.
Eventually, two F-16s from Fargo, N.D., moved in close to look into the windows to see if the pilot was slumped over and to help clear air space. Officials hoped that the F-16s could provide assistance to anyone on board who might have helped land the plane safely.
The pilots drew close and noticed no structural damage but were unable to see into the Learjet because its windows were frosted over, indicating the temperature inside was well below freezing.
The F-16 pilots said they saw the plane, apparently out of fuel, fall to the ground.
That's a total of ten fighter jets and one tanker for a Learjet with six on board.
There are about 10,000 commercial flights a day in the US. Their flight paths are monitored. As for non-commercial flights, I don't know if their flight paths are monitored.
abcnews.go.com |
