Four fighter jets, two F-15s and two F-16s, were dispatched to inspect a Continental Airlines Boeing 777 today from Newark to Tel Aviv which failed to make contact with Air Traffic Control and comply with international regulations as it approached Israeli airspace.
The fighters incepted the Flight 90, carrying 251 passengers, once it reached the five mile mark before Israel after the pilot failed to contact Ben Gurion Airport. According to the Israeli Air Force, the pilot of the flight contacted Air Traffic Control from a distance of 200 miles but then contact was lost. Once the plane reached the 40-mile distance from Israel, the IAF dispatched fighter jets.
“This is the closest we’ve ever came to intercepting a civilian airplane,’ a senior IAF officer said. The IAF was on high alert for the incident, and the Israeli Prime Minister, Defense Minister, the Israeli Defense Force Chief of Staff, and the head of the IAF were placed “online” in case further orders were needed.
Continental has said it will review the incident to avoid it happening again in the future. It is suspected the pilot did not switch to the correct frequency. The plane was allowed to land after radio contact was reestablished.