US fighter jets caused a sonic boom in the Washington area on Sunday as they climbed toward the unresponsive plane.
WASHINGTON, DC – A Cessna Citation light aircraft caused a stir near the US capital Washington on Sunday (June 4). The plane was off course and, according to the North American Air Defense Command Norad, the pilot did not respond when the F-16 fighter jets attempted to make contact. That reports the German Press Agency (dpa).
According to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the small plane crashed a short time later near Montebello in the state of Virginia, south of Washington. The plane reportedly took off from Elizabethton, Tennessee, and was scheduled to land in Long Island, New York. Like the US TV station CNN reported, according to the police, no survivors were found at the crash site. Why the pilot was not responsive is now the subject of the investigation.
Washington: Private plane crash raises questions
The incident, which took place around 3:20 p.m. (local time), raises many open questions. It is still unclear whether there was a medical emergency on board (and the pilot therefore did not respond) and whether the light aircraft violated airspace restrictions over Washington and the surrounding area. After CNN-There were four people on board the small plane, about whom no details are known so far. However, the small plane was not shot down by the military, the television station reports, citing an unnamed source. As a result, it is common for the FAA to request military assistance when an aircraft is found to be performing in a dangerous or unsafe manner.
A defective file caused flight chaos in the USA in January. It was the first such nationwide grounding since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York.
The dpa According to the statement, the fighter jets were given permission to fly at supersonic speeds. Flares were also used “to distract the pilot’s attention,” Norad said.
Washington Incident: Crashed light aircraft was registered in Florida
A White House official said US President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident, who was in the Washington area at the time. However, no information was given as to whether security measures had been taken in this regard. According to the responsible police, the Capitol and the associated buildings were temporarily on alert until the plane had left the zone again.
How CNN further reported, according to the FAA, the crashed small plane was registered with a company in the state of Florida. However, the owner John Rumpel did not want to comment on the telephone to the television station. Opposite of Washington Post Rumpel later stated that his family members, including his daughter, one grandchild and their nanny, were on board. “We’re talking to the FAA now,” Rumpel told the newspaper.
From June 12, NATO jets will fly over Germany for days. Around 100 of the 250 aircraft involved in NATO’s so-called Air Defender 2023 are from the USA. (Vivian Werg/dpa)
#fighter #jets #intercept #small #aircraft #Washington #crashes
