The US Capitol and surrounding buildings were evacuated and fighter jets scrambled today after an airliner flying into Washington's Reagan Airport went out of radio contact, US officials said.

The FAA said a Piedmont Airlines flight from Hilton Head, South Carolina, lost radio contact as it approached the area.

The North American Aerospace Defence Command scrambled fighter jets out of Andrews Air Force Base in response.

Capitol Police issued an evacuation order, warning workers that an aircraft had entered restricted airspace.

The order was called off after controllers made contact with the plane and it landed at Reagan airport, which is directly across the Potomac River from Washington.

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