A small, nonthreatening balloon spotted flying high over the mountainous Western United States was intercepted by a fighter jet over Utah on Friday, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

NORAD fighter pilots sent in the morning to investigate the balloon determined it was “not maneuverable” and did not present a threat to national security, spokesperson John Cornelio said. The balloon was still in the air, under close observation.

    • Flying Squid
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      44 months ago

      Well it isn’t the plot to The Red Balloon. This was just one balloon. That kid had a whole ton of them before most likely falling to his death after he no longer had the strength to hold on.

      • @littletranspunk
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        24 months ago

        Maybe not the number of balloons but the overreaction to something that wasn’t a threat definitely is

        • Flying Squid
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          24 months ago

          I know. I just suddenly felt the need to point out that after the end credits of that Oscar-winning short film, that boy fell and squished into the pavement and only because all the living balloons thought it would be a treat for him to fly over Paris.