The warplanes caused an explosion as they traveled at supersonic speeds over Washington, D.C., surprising people in the Washington area as they tried to catch up with the Cessna Citation, US officials said. violations.
The Cessna Citation is a light commercial airliner that can only carry a handful of passengers. Photo: WIKI
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that a Cessna plane plunged into mountainous terrain in Southwest Virginia around the same time an explosion was heard as the plane was traveling at supersonic speed in the area. capital of American. A Cessna Citation can carry from 7 to 12 passengers.
A US official said the fighter jets did not cause the crash. A source said the Cessna is believed to be on autopilot and not responding to signals to authorities. CNN reported that four people were on board the Cessna, citing an unnamed source.
The US military attempted to contact the pilot, who was unresponsive, until the Cessna subsequently crashed near George Washington National Forest in Virginia, according to North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). said in a statement.
"NORAD aircraft are authorized to travel at supersonic speeds and people in the area can hear sonic booms," the statement said, adding that NORAD aircraft also used flares to attract attention. pilot's intention.
The Cessna took off from Elizabethton City Airport, Tennessee, and was headed for Long Island MacArthur Airport in New York, about 80 kilometers east of Manhattan, the FAA said in a statement, adding that the Transportation Department The National Safety Commission will investigate the incident.
An F-16 of the US Army. This fighter can move at supersonic speed and possesses many modern weapons. Photo: HOLD
The FAA said the crash happened around 3:30 p.m. local time on Sunday. According to flight tracking website Flight Aware, the plane appeared to have arrived in the New York area and made a nearly 180-degree turn, before ending up in Virginia.
ABC News quoted an unnamed US official as saying that the F-16s of the National Air Force had been deployed from Joint Base Andrews. At least one military pilot saw the pilot of the Cessna unconscious.
Although rare, incidents involving pilots not responding due to unconsciousness have occurred. Golfer Payne Stewart died in 1999 along with four others after his plane crashed in South Dakota with no survivors. In the case of Stewart's flight, the plane was depressurized, causing the occupants to pass out from lack of oxygen.
Similarly, a small American private jet with an unresponsive pilot crashed off the east coast of Jamaica in 2014 after swerving too far southwest of Florida and triggering a security alert. of the United States, causing a fighter jet to be dispatched to divert it.
Huy Hoang (according to Reuters, CNN, ABC)
