WASHINGTON (AFP)--President Barack Obama was briefly "relocated" by the Secret Service Friday after a single-engine plane entered restricted airspace over Washington, Obama's spokesman said.

"The president was briefly relocated out of an abundance of caution, as was the vice president," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs. Gibbs said it was the first time in the Obama presidency he had heard of such precautions being taken.

Two Air Force F-16 fighters and two Coast Guard helicopters intercepted the small aircraft at about 12:30 p.m. EDT, a spokesman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) told AFP.

The pilot of the Piper Cub was contacted by radio and was immediately compliant, Lieutenant Commander Gary Ross said. The plane was escorted to a local airport about 15 miles away, where the pilot was met by local law enforcement, Ross said.

During the incident, the White House was temporarily on a lockdown security alert and the Secret Service shut down Lafayette Square adjacent to the presidential mansion.

The alert was lifted after about 10 minutes.

At Congress, a security alert lasted about 15 minutes and senators were asked to leave the chamber at one point, police said.

-Dow Jones Newswires, 201-938-5500

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  04-24-09 1521ET
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