Multiple fighter jets were spotted over New Jersey on Sunday, with confused residents taking to social media to make sense of the fly-bys.
As photos and videos of jets flying over New Jersey surfaced, residents of the city wondered whether US President Donald Trump was slated to pay a visit later in the day.
Videos uploaded to social media showed four planes, one large and three small flying in formation, leading to much confusion.
"Crazy. What do you think is happening? I live in Jersey and am watching the same thing," wrote one user as videos showing the planes were shared on X.
"Heard the same and thought a plane was cashing too. Terrifying," wrote another user.
"A commercial airliner flanked by 3 F-16s flying over northern NJ right now," wrote yet another user, offering a clue as to which jets were seen above the city.
Others, meanwhile, wondered whether the US President was supposed to visit New Jersey, with the jets being part of his security.
Why are jets flying over New Jersey?
Despite netizens' concerns, it turns out that Trump is not set to visit New Jersey, and the videos do not show any interception manoeuvre.
So why were jets spotted over New Jersey? The reason is rather routine, with media reports suggesting that an F-18 flyover was scheduled to take place over the MetLife Stadium for Sunday's New York Jets vs Miami Dolphins game.
Flyovers for NFL games, often featuring US Navy, US Air Force, or Marine jets are commonplace, especially during Salute to Service weeks.
In November, several such flyovers were listed, with one scheduled for 14 November, one for 16 November, and another for 17 November.
During the November flyovers, the F-18s were operating out of the Teterboro Airport, and is very likely that Sunday's flyover followed the same schedule and procedure.
