By — Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/2-chinese-jets-fly-close-to-u-s-spy-plane-pentagon-says Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter 2 Chinese jets fly close to U.S. spy plane, Pentagon says World May 18, 2016 7:00 PM EDT WASHINGTON — The Pentagon says two Chinese fighter jets flew within about 50 feet of a U.S. Navy reconnaissance plane Tuesday in international airspace over the South China Sea. The Pentagon characterized the incident as an unsafe intercept and said it is being reviewed. A U.S. military official says the two Chinese J-11 fighters flew out to intercept the U.S. EP-3 Aries aircraft and came so close that they forced the pilot to descend a couple hundred feet in order to avoid a collision. The U.S. surveillance plane was conducting routine operations in the region. The official says the incident took place in the northern part of the sea, south of Hong Kong. The official was not authorized to discuss details of the incident publicly, so spoke on condition of anonymity. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon says two Chinese fighter jets flew within about 50 feet of a U.S. Navy reconnaissance plane Tuesday in international airspace over the South China Sea. The Pentagon characterized the incident as an unsafe intercept and said it is being reviewed. A U.S. military official says the two Chinese J-11 fighters flew out to intercept the U.S. EP-3 Aries aircraft and came so close that they forced the pilot to descend a couple hundred feet in order to avoid a collision. The U.S. surveillance plane was conducting routine operations in the region. The official says the incident took place in the northern part of the sea, south of Hong Kong. The official was not authorized to discuss details of the incident publicly, so spoke on condition of anonymity. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now