11:33pm UK, Thursday July 24, 2003

A major presidential security alert was triggered when a small aircraft buzzed George Bush's motorcade.

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The single-engine plane flew just 100 metres above the 50-car motorcade as it was travelling along a major road in Philadelphia.

A police helicopter responded to the alert and grounded the plane, according to a story on the Drudge Report, an American news website.

President Bush was travelling in a limousine and would have been aware of the plane, the report said.

It is not known what happened to the occupants of the plane or whether they were charged with any offence.

The incident happened last Thursday after Mr Bush had made a major speech on the state of the American economy.