Cuban 'defectors' fly into Florida

The plane was escorted to Key West by US fighters

An ageing biplane carrying a Cuban family of eight has been forced to land in Key West, Florida, by US fighter jets.

It appears the two-seater Cubana Airlines cargo plane was commandeered by an employee - an experienced pilot - who then packed in seven relatives, including an infant, and took off.

The plane only has seats for the pilot and a passenger

When the plane entered US airspace, the authorities were alerted and two fighters were scrambled to escort the plane to Key West, an island at the southern tip of the Florida Keys archipelago. The incident occurred at about 1530 GMT on Monday.

"It is a defection," Transportation Security Administration spokesman Brian Turmail told the news agency Reuters.

Navy dogs found no trace of drugs or explosives aboard the Soviet-made Antonov-2 Colt plane, owned by the Cuban Government.

The eight were being interviewed and were expected to be released to relatives in Florida later, an immigration spokeswoman said.

Defection is a great source of friction in US-Cuba relations

In spite of their illegal entry, they are likely to be granted asylum according to a 1966 law that allows Cuban defectors who have reached dry land to remain - a law that infuriates Havana.

Several planes or boats have been stolen or hijacked by defecting Cubans in recent years.

In September 2000, a stolen crop-duster crashed in the Gulf of Mexico after leaving Cuba. Nine survivors were granted leave to remain in the US.

In 1992 a pilot defected while carrying 52 passengers. The pilot and four others later returned to Cuba.