NORAD fighters on alert over U.S. and Canada

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SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) --  Within minutes of a small aircraft crashing into a New York apartment building, military fighter aircraft were flying over cities in the United States and Canada.

However, "every indication is that this was an accident," North American Aerospace Defense Command officials stated in an official statement.

The statement added that the command scrambled the jets because "we see this as a prudent measure at this time. There was no indication that this flight was a flight of interest."

Television news reports point out that the aircraft crashed into an apartment building on Manhattan's East Side. The crash set off a four-alarm fire, reports also said. And news reports also indicate that one person died in the crash.

The NORAD statement indicated that its fighters "will remain in the air for some period of time and will remain on alert."