US authorities scrambled fighter jets above US cities on Wednesday as a precaution after a small plane crashed into an apartment building in New York, a senior commander said.
Admiral Tim Keating, commander of the US Northern Command, would not say how many cities were under air cover but insisted there was no sign of terrorism in the accident on Manhattan’s post Upper East Side.
”Fighters, along with early warning systems, they’ve been up there for half an hour, 45 minutes,” Keating told CNN.
”There are no, repeat, no indications that there is anything underfoot beyond this one airplane or helicopter, whatever, light civil (aircraft) that flew into this apartment building in New York City,” he said.
”But … we reserve the right to exercise our capabilities, which is what we’ve done here.”
White House not ruling anything out
The White House was not ruling out any theory on the crash, a spokesperson said, adding that there was no change in the country’s terror alert level.
”We are not in a position to rule anything in or out,” said deputy White House spokesperson Tony Fratto after a small plane plunged into the apartment building killing at least one.
”There is no change of the alert level.”
Frattor said President George W. Bush was informed shortly after the crash, which evoked memories of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
”The president is aware of it … We are monitoring reports from up there; we are trying to gather information,” Fratto said. – Sapa-AFP