WASHINGTON — Federal officials have launched an investigation into how an unresponsive Cessna aircraft flew into restricted airspace in Washington, D.C., triggering the launch of fighter jets.
A loud sonic boom could be heard throughout the D.C. region on Sunday as two F-16s launched from nearby Joint Base Andrews in Maryland to investigate, military officials said.
The unresponsive plane, a Cessna 560 Citation V, traveled at 34,000 feet through restricted airspace before crashing n a mountainous area of southwest Virginia at approximately 3:30 p.m. local time. The Virginia State Police will identify the victims.reporters reached Encore's 75-year-old owner, John Rumpel, he reportedly identified four people who had been on the downed flight: his daughter, a granddaughter, a nanny and a pilot.
The two F-16s from the 113th Fighter Wing that took off from Joint Base Andrews were the first to reach the Cessna, Defense officials said. The pilots and aircraft were with the D.C. Air National Guard. "Based on the length of the flight path the FAA described for this event, it is normal procedure to have made NORAD aircraft available at several locations," a North American Aerospace Defense Command spokesperson said on Sunday.
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