There are no survivors after a private plane believe to be carrying four people, including a toddler, crashed shortly after prompting F-16 jets to pursue the “unresponsive” aircraft, officials confirmed to Newsweek.
The Cessna 560 violated Washington, D.C restricted airspace and triggered fighter jets to pursue at “supersonic speeds,” in response to the “unresponsive” plane, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirmed in an online statement. The private jet was “intercepted” by the F-16 jets at roughly 3:20 p.m. local time.
“The NORAD aircraft were authorized to travel at supersonic speeds and a sonic boom may have been heard by residents of the region,” the aerospace organization confirmed, adding that it was acting in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
In an effort to get the Cessna pilot’s attention, NORAD said the F-16s used flares, saying those “may have been visible to the public.” The organization said the flares were used with the “highest regard for safety” for the intercepted aircraft and pose “no danger” to the people on the ground.
“The pilot was unresponsive and the Cessna subsequently crashed near the George Washington National Forest, Virginia,” the organization said. “NORAD attempted to establish contact with the pilot until the aircraft crashed.”
Just before 8 p.m. on Sunday, first responders reached the crash site by foot, Virginia State Police (VSP) spokesperson Corinne Geller told Newsweek via email. She said state police have suspended search efforts and “no survivors were located.”
The VSP will identify the occupants of the aircraft once that information becomes available, Geller said to Newsweek.
The Cessna Citation was registered to Encore Motors of Melbourne Inc., according to aviation records. John Rumpel, who runs the company, told The Washington Post and The New York Times that his daughter and 2-year-old granddaughter were returning to their home in East Hampton, on Long Island, after visiting his house in North Carolina. He told the outlets he believed they were traveling with the toddler’s nanny and the pilot.
Rumpel said he could not provide any other details, telling The Washington Post that he knows “nothing about the crash,” and he is talking with the FAA.
Jennifer Gabris, a spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), confirmed to Newsweek in an email that the board is investigating the crash. She said that at approximately 3:30 p.m. ET, the Cessna crashed in a “rural mountain area” after being “unresponsive” to Air Traffic Control communications attempts. The aircraft took off from Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Elizabethton, Tennessee, and Gabris said the airplane overflew its destination of Long Island MacArthur Airport.
One Twitter video appears to show aerial photos of smoke and debris, shared by Chopper4Brad at 9:30 p.m. ET.
“Cessna Citation business jet crashed into a Virginia mountain side, fighter jets scrambled from Joint Base Andrews could only watch as the incapacitated pilot descended from 30K feet,” Chopper4Brad tweeted along with four images.
D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management posted on Twitter Sunday afternoon about the loud boom the fighter jets caused, assuring the public there was no threat.
6/4 (3:32PM): We are aware of reports from communities throughout the National Capital Region of a loud “boom” this afternoon. There is no threat at this time.
— DC Homeland Security & Emergency Management (@DC_HSEMA) June 4, 2023
Gabris said NTSB investigations can take a long time to complete, currently ranging from 12 to 24 months. However, she said the preliminary report, which will include “factual information learned to date,” is expected to be published in roughly three weeks. Gabris said NTSB will “not state a cause” this early in an investigation.
“Part of the investigation will be to request radar data, weather information and maintenance records,” Gabris told Newsweek. “NTSB investigators will look at the human, machine and environment as the outline of the investigation.”
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