Authorities are investigating the crash of a plane that flew near the US Capitol area on Sunday (4), prompting fighter jets to intercept the aircraft before it crashed in northern Virginia, leaving no survivors.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are expected to arrive at the crash site on Monday, where they will “begin the process of documenting the scene and examining the aircraft,” the agency said in a statement.
The civilian aircraft, which was carrying four people on board, missed its destination by more than 300 miles before crashing in Virginia on Sunday afternoon, sources familiar with the investigation said.
The small plane took off from an airport in Elizabethton, Tenn., and was bound for Long Island MacArthur Airport in New York, a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.
No surviving passengers were found at the crash site on Sunday night, Virginia police said, noting that their identities will be released when they become available.
The details of why the plane veered so far off course and what caused the crash remain unclear.
The US Capitol complex was placed on “high alert” when the plane flew near the area on Sunday afternoon, according to a statement from the US Capitol Police.
The F-16 fighters were “cleared to travel at supersonic speeds” as they raced to make contact with the aircraft, a Cessna 560 Citation V, according to a statement from the Continental North America Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Region.
The jets’ extraordinary speed caused a sonic boom in the Washington area, officials said, and some residents reported being startled by the sudden noise.
“The house shook and the windows shook. Obviously, we were a little scared,” said Chuck Martin, who felt the “boom” in Fairfax County, Virginia.
“I started calling the police. Their non-emergency line was busy. When I finally finished, they said, ‘Oh, this Department of Defense aircraft went supersonic, which sounds a little weird.’
Maryland residents also reported hearing the boom.
“Our Ring notifications were going crazy with so many different options. Was it the Navy? Or was it a sonic boom? Or was it an earthquake?” said Sandy Abuarja, who lives in Gambrills, Maryland.
When the F-16s arrived at the Cessna around 3:20 pm local time, the jet’s pilots fired flares in an effort to get the pilot’s attention, the statement said.
“The pilot did not respond and the Cessna subsequently crashed near the George Washington National Forest in Virginia,” the statement said. “Norad tried to establish contact with the pilot until the aircraft crashed.”
The F-16s did not shoot down the aircraft, a US official told CNN . The official noted that it is typical of the FAA to call the jets if someone is flying unsafely.
Virginia state and local police combed the area for hours after being notified of a possible accident near the town of Staunton.
No survivors found in the wreckage
None of the plane’s passengers were found alive when rescuers arrived at the crash site around 8 pm Sunday, confirmed state police spokeswoman Corinne Geller.
The private aircraft is registered with Encore Motors, a Florida-based company, according to FAA records.
John Rumpel, whose wife Barbara is listed as president of the company, told CNN that they own Encore. The husband confirmed that Barbara Rumpel is safe, but declined to comment further.
John Rumpel told The New York Times that his daughter, a 2-year-old granddaughter and her nanny were on board the plane. He told the Times that the family was returning home to East Hampton, New York, after a four-day trip to their home in North Carolina.
On her Facebook profile, Barbara Rumpel commented: “My family is gone, my daughter and my granddaughter,” in an unrelated post in which others asked if she was on the plane.
Aircraft flew near the US capital
When the plane veered off course Sunday afternoon, it passed over Washington, D.C., and was unresponsive to efforts to make contact, prompting F-16 fighters to respond.
US Capitol Police placed the Capitol Complex on “high alert” as the aircraft passed through the area, the agency said.
“This afternoon, our officials were working closely with our federal partners to monitor an unconscious pilot flying a plane near the National Capital Region. The US Capitol Complex was briefly placed on high alert until the plane left the area,” a statement from the department said.
It is unclear if the aircraft entered restricted airspace.
President Joe Biden was playing golf on the course at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland when the sonic boom resounded in Washington.
The US Secret Service said it did not change its stance to keep President Biden safe after fighter jets were deployed.
The president was briefed on the incident, according to a White House official.
Source: CNN Brasil
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