File. The Pentagon is seen from Air Force One as it flies over Washington, 2 March 2022. – A wayward and unresponsive business jet that flew over the nation’s capital Sunday afternoon, 4 June 2023, caused the military to scramble a fighter plane before the jet crashed in Virginia, officials said
(Associated Press)
The US Department of Defence scrambled fighter jets to intercept a private jet that had entered Washington DC’s airspace and later crashed into the mountains of Virginia, officials said.
On Sunday afternoon, the chase caused a sonic boom over Washington DC that led many residents to panic as their houses shook, according to local reports.
Officials said the pilot of the private Cessna Citation jet was unresponsive and around 3.00pm F-16s took off from Andrews Air Force Base in a high-speed pursuit of the errant aircraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] told The Independent the aircraft had taken off from Tennessee bound for New York but eventually crashed into a sparsely populated area near Staunton, about 150 miles southwest of DC.
Four people were onboard the Cessna, Reuters quoted a source familiar with the matter as saying. A Cessna Citation can carry seven to 12 passengers.
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Pilot of the private jet was ‘unresponsive’ even as F-16s used ‘flares’ to draw attention
Officials said that the pilot of the Cessna Citation private jet that flew into Washington DC’s airspace was “unresponsive” even as the F-16 jets — authorised to travel at supersonic speeds — used flares “in an attempt to draw attention from the pilot”.
The Federal Aviation Administration said that their jets did not shoot down the plane and that it is normal to call in jets if someone is flying unsafely.
The pilot of the civilian aircraft was unresponsive as the F-16 fighter jets attempted to make contact, Continental US North American Aerospace Defense Command Region said in a statement.
Earlier, a US official told ABC News that the pilot seemed to have “passed out”.
Maroosha Muzaffar5 June 2023 05:00
Police say no survivors located at the crash site
Virginia State Police say they have been unable to locate any survivors at the crash site so far.
A private jet crashed into the mountains in Virginia after being chased by US Department of Defence fighter jets that led to a massive sonic boom over the capital region.
Jets were scrambled to intercept the plane after the pilot appeared to be unresponsive.
It was reported that four people were on board the Cessna small aircraft at the time.
A Florida businessman, John Rumpel, has said that his “entire family” was on the jet.
The Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] said in a statement that the Cessna appeared to have crashed at 3.30pm – around 10 minutes after the F-16s had intercepted it.
Maroosha Muzaffar5 June 2023 04:59
Washington DC businessman says ‘entire family’ was on the private jet
John Rumpel, a prominent Florida businessman was quoted as saying by The Washington Post that his “entire family” was on the plane when it crashed.
It was reported that at least four people were on the private jet that was chased by the F-16s causing a loud sonic boom over the Washington DC region.
Mr Rumpel identified himself as the owner of the private Cessna passenger aircraft, according to WaPo.
It said that his daughter, a grandchild and her nanny were on the plane when it crashed over the Virginia mountains.
“We know nothing about the crash,” he said. “We are talking to the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] now. … I’ve got to keep the line clear.”
Meanwhile, Virginia State Police said that they were unable to locate any survivors at the crash site so far.
Maroosha Muzaffar5 June 2023 04:34
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the loud sonic boom heard over the capital region
Maroosha Muzaffar5 June 2023 04:09