Earlier this morning, a passenger plane escorted by two fighter jets was seen circling above lower Manhattan and New Jersey, spurring buildings in the area to spontaneously evacuate, and, understandably, frightening a lot of people. But it's okay, because it was a pre-planned event — either a Statue of Liberty photo session or some kind of advertisement for a movie, according to different reports — sanctioned with the full knowledge and cooperation of the FAA. The police department, the mayor's office, and the park police were all notified, but maybe next time someone decides to nearly reenact 9/11, they can let everyone else in on the plans too.

Air Force One Backup Rattles New York Nerves [City Room/NYT]
FAA says low-flying plane over Staten Island is 'pre-planned' flight to take photos [SI Advance]
Readers: Did You See the Low-Flying Jet Over Lower Manhattan? [Middle Seat Terminal/WSJ]