A private civilian aircraft flying over Washington did not respond to requests from the ground, prompting the Army to send in reconnaissance fighters. Ultimately, the small plane ended up crashing in a mountainous area near the state of Virginia, authorities said.
🚨#BREAKING: The FAA has confirmed that a Small Cessna plane has crashed in Virginia after flying over Washington, D.C. which prompted fighter jets to scramble, causing the loud sonic boom pic.twitter.com/gKEZvrVQof
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) June 4, 2023
It is being investigated whether the aircraft - a Cessna 560 - violated restricted airspace on purpose or an emergency occurred on board. The authorities point out that the F-16s sent for reconnaissance did not shoot down the civilian aircraft. According to a statement from the Continental Region of the U.S. Aerospace Defense Command, the aircraft's pilot did not respond when the fighter jets attempted to establish contact.
The fighter jets were authorized to travel at supersonic speeds, therefore causing a sonic boom heard throughout the capital area as they scrambled to attempt to intercept the plane.
NORAD Responds to an Unresponsive Aircraft over the National Capital Region pic.twitter.com/EX7r1B1Uum
— 1st AF/America's AOC (@1stAF) June 4, 2023
The civilian aircraft eventually crashed near the George Washington National Forest in Virginia. Four people were on board, and no survivors have been located.
The victims: family of a former NRA board member
Barbara Rumpel, a board member of the Women's NRA of Florida, confirmed that her daughter and granddaughter were among the victims of the accident. "I have lost my family, my daughter and granddaughter," Rumpel wrote in a Facebook comment.
