October 25, 1999
Web posted at: 1:23 p.m. EDT (1723 GMT)

From CNN Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Learjet containing five people is flying out of control in the Midwest.

The U.S. Air Force says a pair of F-16 fighters from the Oklahoma Air National Guard were sent aloft to locate the civilian jet, which took off from Orlando, Florida, at 9:20 a.m. EDT headed toward Dallas, Texas.

An FAA official said air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane about 20 minutes later.

An Air Force spokesman says the F-16s located the Learjet flying over Lincoln, Nebraska, and that the occupants of the plane were "non-responsive."

The jet was last contacted as it passed Gainesville, Florida, said FAA spokesman Paul Turk. The plane was described as "in distress," but Turk had no further details.

One or more U.S. Air Force planes chased the plane, but broke off to refuel, Turk said.

The Learjet had refueled just prior to takeoff from Orlando. It was not immediately clear how far it could travel before running out of fuel.