Fighter jets escort Columbia, S.C., flight

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Two F-16 fighter jets escorted a twin-engine jet to Charlotte-Douglas International Airport on Tuesday because it was unclear whether the pilots provided authorities with adequate flight information, aviation officials said.

The plane, a Cessna Citation, took off from Columbia, S.C., shortly before 11 a.m., said Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen.

The plane had an Egyptian registration and because of the foreign registration it was required to file "appropriate paperwork" before taking off, Bergen said. Air traffic controllers raised questions about the flight and requested it land at the closest international airport, she said.

The FAA asked for assistance from the North American Aerospace Defense, which scrambled two F-16s from Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, S.C.