No survivors after plane crashes in US state of Virginia after reported sonic boom

WORLD  05 June 2023 - 14:46

First responders reached the site on June 4 evening, about four hours after state and local authorities launched a ground and air search for the crashed aircraft, Virginia State Police said, CNN reports.

State police said they have suspended their search and will identify the plane’s passengers when the information becomes available.

A US official said the F-16s did not shoot down the aircraft and that it is typical for the Federal Aviation Administration 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, according to a news release from the Continental US North American Aerospace Defense Command Region.

The F-16 jets were “authorized to travel at supersonic speeds,” which resulted in the sonic boom heard in the Washington, DC, area.

The F-16s used flares “in an attempt to draw attention from the pilot,” the release added.

The civilian aircraft, a Cessna 560 Citation V, was intercepted by the NORAD jets around 3:20 p.m. and ultimately crashed near the George Washington National Forest in Virginia.

“The pilot was unresponsive and the Cessna subsequently crashed near the George Washington National Forest, Virginia,” the release said. “NORAD attempted to establish contact with the pilot until the aircraft crashed.”

Four people were on board the aircraft, which overshot its planned destination by 315 miles before crashing, sources familiar with the investigation said.

Search efforts were still underway by state and local authorities on June 4 evening, Virginia State Police told CNN.

State police were notified around 3:50 p.m. of a possible aircraft crash in the Staunton/Blue Ridge Parkway region, the agency said.

The National Transportation Safety Board said on Twitter it was investigating the crash. The agency said it will arrive at the scene on June 5 and will begin “the process of documenting the scene and examining the aircraft”.

Caliber.Az