An unresponsive aircraft flew from New York to Cuba Friday, followed by US fighter aircraft that turned away as it entered Cuban airspace, officials said.
The Socata TBM-700 failed to respond to attempts to communicate with it after departing from Rochester, New York on a flight to Naples, Florida, prompting the North American Aerospace Defense Command to scramble two F-15s.
"They've broken off, we're no longer monitoring it," a NORAD spokesperson told AFP after the plane crossed into Cuban airspace.
The United States and Cuba have not had full official diplomatic relations for more than half a century.
NORAD is the joint Canadian and American command in charge of maritime and aerospace warnings for the neighboring nations.