Fighter jets cause sonic boom as private plane crashes after flying near DC

04 June 2023 , 19:26

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The sound of a huge explosion was heard in the area surrounding Washington DC as the US military responded to a private jet that violated the nearby airspace before crashing in the mountains.

Residents in nearby Maryland and Virginia all reported hearing a large explosion - which sparked panic - but was caused by an F-16 “cleared supersonic to respond” to intercept the small plane, which wasn't responding to radio transmissions.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said it authorised an aircraft to "travel at supersonic speeds and a sonic boom may have been heard by residents of the region".

The fighter jet, NORAD said, used flares "in an attempt to draw attention from the pilot".

The rogue plane, a Cessna Citation private jet, crashed into a mountainous region near Montebello, Virginia.

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Hours later, police said rescuers had reached the site of the plane crash in a rural part of the Shenandoah Valley and no survivors were found.

Dozens of people reported hearing a loud 'explosion' (Twitter)

The private jet was registered to Encore Motors of Melbourne Inc. John Rumpel, who runs the company with wife Barbara.

He told the New York Times that his daughter, two-year-old granddaughter, her nanny and the pilot were aboard the plane.

They were returning to their home in East Hampton, on Long Island, after visiting his house in North Carolina, he said.

Mr Rumpel, a prominent MAGA donor, said: “It descended at 20,000 feet a minute, and nobody could survive a crash from that speed.”

John and Barbara Rumpel with Donald Trump (Facebook)

NORAD added: "The pilot was unresponsive and the Cessna subsequently crashed near the George Washington National Forest, Virginia.

"NORAD attempted to establish contact with the pilot until the aircraft crashed."

Capitol Police confirmed the "Capitol Complex was briefly placed on an elevated alert until the airplane left the area."

The City of Annapolis Office of Emergency Management said an authorised Department of Defence flight caused the sound, heard just after 8pm local time and registered as a 'seismic-like event'.

A US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon (US AIR FORCE/AFP via Getty Image)

The authority said: "The loud boom that was heard across the DMV area was caused by an authorized DOD flight.

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"This flight caused a sonic boom."

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sent a statement about the crash in response to the Mirror when asked about the sonic boom.

John Rumpel's daughter Adina Azarian and granddaughter are thought to have died in the crash (Facebook)

The body said "A Cessna Citation crashed into mountainous terrain in a sparsely populated area of southwest Virginia around 3pm local time on June 4.

"The aircraft took off from Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Elizabethton, Tennessee, and was bound for Long Island MacArthur Airport in New York."

Sources reported the Cessna was on autopilot when it crashed.

A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security said: "We are aware of reports from communities throughout the National Capital Region of a loud “boom” this afternoon. There is no threat at this time."

The city of Bowie, Maryland, added: "We have confirmed that the loud boom heard in Bowie was a sonic boom from a plane out of Joint Base Andrews."

Prince George's County Police Department also confirmed they were told it was an exercise.

Journalist Andrew Leyden claimed on Twitter that the DC Air National Guard had been conducting air defence drills over the Chesapeake Bay and was cleared to go supersonic during an alert scramble exercise.

Tom Lynch, an NBC reporter, said terrified residents rang 911 in a huge panic after the sound made windows rattle and alarms blare.

Reports indicate police were forced to call the Federal Aviation Administration to find out more.