Plane crash raises security concerns in the US

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said four people, including the pilot of the Cessna Citation 560, were killed in the crash. The US Department of Defense dispatched F-16 fighter jets to pursue the Cessna near Washington, DC.

The flight path of the Cessna. Photo: FOX 5

The Cessna took off from Elizabethton, Tennessee, at 1:13 p.m. EDT, bound for Long Island MacArthur Airport, about 50 miles east of Manhattan, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said. Air traffic control lost contact with the plane shortly after takeoff.

The NTSB added that the last air traffic control contact attempt with the plane was at about 1:28 p.m.

The FAA said at 1:36 p.m. it reported the pilot's unresponsiveness to control units, including military , security and law enforcement agencies.

Officials said the plane appeared to be on autopilot. The NTSB said the plane maintained an altitude of 31,000 feet and eventually climbed to 34,000 feet before beginning to descend at 3:26 p.m. The plane crashed at about 3:32 p.m. in southwest Virginia.

The NTSB said the Cessna passed MacArthur Airport, its original destination, at 2:33 p.m. while at an altitude of 34,000 feet. The plane then turned around and flew back.

The NTSB said it was unclear why the plane moved as it did.

The crash is reminiscent of other incidents involving unresponsive pilots. Golfer Payne Stewart died in 1999 along with four others when their plane flew thousands of miles before crashing in South Dakota. The plane reportedly lost cabin pressure, leaving everyone unconscious from lack of oxygen.

According to FAA flight records, the Cessna was registered to Encore Motors in Melbourne, Florida. John Rumpel, the owner of Encore Motors, said his daughter, a grandchild and a nanny were on the flight.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said in a statement that the US military attempted to contact the pilot but he did not respond. Military pilots also used flares to try to attract the pilot's attention.

Cessnas are not required to have flight data recorders or cockpit voice recorders.

Quoc Thien (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/vu-may-bay-roi-gan-washington-gay-ra-moi-lo-ngai-ve-an-ninh-o-my-post250518.html