A US passenger jet broke air security regulations and flew over the White House after leaving Washington's Reagan National Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration has confirmed.
The incident, which happened Monday and involved a Frontier Airlines Boeing 737, has been blamed on an error by the pilot.
The plane, en route to Denver, flew through airspace over central Washington which has been restricted and patrolled by military fighter aircraft since last year's terrorist attacks.
After being contacted by controllers the Frontier pilot acknowledged his navigational mistake but was allowed to continue the flight.
The FAA said Flight 819 missed a turning point shortly after take-off and was monitored by security agencies.