'' Air Force One '' photo op incident occurred on the morning of April 27 , 2009 , when a Boeing VC-25 ( a Boeing 747 military variant used as '' Air Force One '' when the president is aboard ) , followed by a U.S. Air Force F-16 jet fighter , flew low and circled the Upper New York Bay , site of the Statue of Liberty National Monument . President Barack Obama was not on board the aircraft during the incident . Although the planes were engaged in a photo op and training exercise , the citizens of New York and New Jersey had not been informed in advance , and some thought it could be the makings of a terrorist attack similar to the September 11 attacks . Some people ran out of buildings and panicked in the streets . Some buildings ordered evacuations
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Air Force One photo op incident