The crash caused two F-16 fighter jets to try to intercept it after it approached a no-fly zone in the District of Columbia, causing a sonic boom that could be heard for miles.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Cessna 560 Citation V crashed in southwestern Virginia in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest area near Charlottesville at around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 4.
The plane was heading to Long Island MacArthur Field in Ronkonkoma after taking off from Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Elizabethton, Tennessee, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
according to a new york times reportCessna is owned by John Rumpel, 75, who runs Encore Motors in Melbourne, Florida.
Rempel told The Times that his daughter, a 2-year-old granddaughter, her nanny and the pilot were all aboard the plane, which will return after spending four days at Rempel’s North Carolina home Home in East Hampton Township, Long Island.
The names and ages of the four have not been officially released.
According to the North American Continental Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) region, the private jet pilot did not respond as the F-16 fighter pilot, which is cleared to fly at supersonic speeds, attempted to make contact.
NORAD said the F-16 used spare parts — which the public may have seen — in an attempt to get the pilot’s attention.
“When flares are used, the safety of intercepted aircraft and personnel on the ground is given high priority,” NORAD said. “The flares burn quickly and completely, and are distributed without danger to personnel on the ground.”
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.
This is still a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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