As the president and his family were getting ready today for a wedding in their hometown neighborhood, a NORAD jet scrambled to escort a private plane that wandered into temporarily restricted Chicago airspace.
While a North American Aerospace Defense Command spokesman would not confirm directly that the temporary restriction was related to the president's family being in residence at their Kenwood neighborhood home this weekend, he said an F-15 fighter intercepted a general aviation aircraft in the vicinity of Chicago at about 10:30 a.m.
The fighter responded to a temporary flight restriction violation by a small, single-engine aircraft, and escorted it out of the restricted area without further incident, he said.
The small plane was not forced to land and he didn't know where it was headed. The NORAD spokesman declined to provide any other information, saying any details would have to come from the FAA.
A representative for the Federal Aviation Administration was not immediately available.
President Barack Obama, his wife Michelle and daughters Malia, 13, and Sasha, 11, are here for their first trip to the city as a foursome in two years.
While the White House says there are no items on the president's public schedule, the First Family is expected to attend the wedding of the daughter of their friend and adviser Valerie Jarrett at Jarrett's nearby home.
Laura Jarrett is marrying fellow Harvard Law grad Tony Balkissoon. As of about 5 p.m. the media had not seen the First Family leave their house.
The president and his family flew into Chicago Friday evening and walked a few blocks from their Kenwood house to the home of their friends, the Martin Nesbitt family.
After a few hours they then were driven back and spent the night in their home.
The Obamas will stay until Sunday, when the president heads to Los Cabos, Mexico, for the G-20 summit and the First Lady goes west to deliver an afternoon commencement address at Oregon State University in Corvallis, where brother Craig Robinson is the men's basketball coach.
Traffic restrictions are expected around the president's home in Kenwood, as well as temporary closures wherever the presidential motorcade travels.
Chicago Tribune reporter Katherine Skiba and White House pool reports contributed.
