Sonic boom in DC – live: MAGA family identified as victims of jet crash that left ‘crater’ in rural Virginia

A Florida businessman, known as a prominent donor to conservative political causes, has identified himself as the owner of the private jet that crashed in the Virginia wilderness on Sunday after it flew over Washington DC’s restricted airspace.

There was a loud sonic boom across the capital as two F-16s were scrambled to meet the Cessna Citation jet, which flew by sensitive sites including the White House and the US Capitol before coming down in a sparsely-populated mountain region.

John Rumpel, 75, owner of Encore Motors of Melbourne, was quoted by The Washington Post as saying that his “entire family” had been on the plane when it crashed, listing his daughter, a two-year-old granddaughter, her nanny and a pilot as being on board.

First responders told CNN that the crash left a “crater” in rural Virginia and that they found human remains at the scene.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told The Independent that the private aircraft had taken off from Elizabethtown, Tennessee, bound for Long Island, but eventually crashed near Staunton, about 150 miles southwest of DC, in the Shenandoah Valley.

Key Points

• Sonic boom ‘explosion’ shakes Washington, DC, as fighter jets react to unresponsive plane before crash

• Pilot of private jet was ‘unresponsive’ even as F-16s used ‘flares’ to draw attention

• Police say no survivors located at Shenandoah Valley crash site

• Businessman says ‘entire family’ was on doomed private jet

• What is a sonic boom?

2018 crash to collect foster dog

05:00 , AP

In January 2018, Dr. Bill Kinsinger, of Edmond, Oklahoma, had been flying his Cirrus SR22T to Georgetown, Texas, to collect a disabled dog that was destined for a foster home in Oklahoma. But he never landed at the suburban Austin airport and overshot his destination by hundreds of miles. Authorities believe he may have lost consciousness due to hypoxia.

2005 crash in Greece

04:00 , AP

Greek investigators said pilots on a Cypriot airliner did not realize an automatic pressurization system was set to “manual” when a loss of cabin pressure and oxygen led to hypoxia and the plane’s crash in Greece in 2005, killing all 121 people on board.

VIDEO: Sound Off: The Sonic Boom

03:15 , Gustaf Kilander

2014 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

02:30 , AP

Among multiple theories in the 2014 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 carrying 239 passengers and crew was a slow or sudden decompression, causing a loss of oxygen, that could have killed everyone on board. If oxygen levels dropped, a loud, automated warning would have alerted the pilots to put on their oxygen masks and immediately descend below 10,000 feet, where there is enough oxygen to breathe without aid. But aviation experts said in that case the plane should have kept flying automatically toward Beijing and been visible on radar.

1999 Learjet crash

01:45 , AP

One of the most well-known crashes involving hypoxia was the 1999 crash of a Learjet that lost cabin pressure and flew halfway across the country on autopilot before running out of gas and crashing in a South Dakota pasture, killing professional golfer Payne Stewart and five others.

Former pilot and Democratic Kentucky senate candidate comments on crash

01:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The effects of Hypoxia

Tuesday 6 June 2023 00:15 , AP

“It’s something that happens slowly. It’s almost like you’re getting groggy, and you just can’t, you can’t piece things together. And eventually you lose consciousness,” said Anthony Brickhouse, a former member of the National Transportation Safety Board who is now an associate professor and director of the Aerospace Forensic Lab at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Brickhouse said that aircraft are often set to fly on autopilot “so if the pilot goes hypoxic or loses consciousness, that aircraft is just going to fly whatever route it was programmed to fly,” he said.

Brickhouse said it’s unclear why the plane suddenly turned around in New York and headed south again. He said it’s possible the pilot was disoriented and may have “tried to reprogram a flight computer or something like that.”

“That’s definitely something that investigators will be looking into,” Brickhouse said.

Brickhouse said it’s important not to jump to conclusions about what caused the sudden flight turnaround and the crash.

What is Hypoxia?

Monday 5 June 2023 23:30 , AP

Hypoxia is the condition that occurs when someone’s brain is deprived of adequate oxygen. If untreated, it can be fatal.

In aviation, hypoxia can happen if a non-pressurized plane flies above 10,000 feet without supplemental oxygen or if there is a rapid decompression during a flight, or a malfunction of the oxygen or pressurization systems, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Oxygen pressure decreases as altitude increases. It’s the reason planes are pressurized and why mountaineers carry supplemental oxygen on high-altitude climbs. It’s also the reason flight attendants explain to passengers how to use oxygen masks in the unlikely event that cabin pressure is lost during a commercial flight.

Loss of oxygen in cabin may have led to Virginia plane crash, expert says

Monday 5 June 2023 22:45 , AP

A loss of oxygen is a leading theory for why an unresponsive business jet flew over the nation’s capital Sunday before it crashed in rural Virginia. But federal investigators are just beginning to look for answers, and an expert cautioned against jumping to conclusions.

The Cessna Citation took off from Elizabethton, Tennessee, headed for Long Island‘s MacArthur Airport. Once over Long Island, it turned around and headed south, flying a straight path over Washington, D.C. before crashing in Virginia, killing the pilot and three passengers.

Read more:

Loss of oxygen in cabin may have led to Virginia plane crash, expert says

‘Nobody could survive a crash from that speed’

Monday 5 June 2023 22:00 , AP

The plane that crashed was registered to Encore Motors of Melbourne Inc, which is based in Florida. John Rumpel, who runs the company, told The New York Times that his daughter, 2-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.

Rumpel, a pilot, told the newspaper he didn’t have much information from authorities but suggested the plane could have lost pressurization.

“It descended at 20,000 feet a minute, and nobody could survive a crash from that speed,” Rumpel told the newspaper.

A woman who identified herself as Barbara Rumpel, listed as the president of the company, said she had no comment Sunday when reached by The Associated Press.

Rescuers reached crash site by foot about four hours after impact

Monday 5 June 2023 21:30 , AP

In Fairfax, Virginia, Travis Thornton was settled on a couch next to his wife, Hannah, and had just begun recording himself playing guitar and harmonica when they were startled by a loud rumble and rattling that can be heard on the video. The couple jumped up to investigate. Thornton tweeted that they checked in with their kids upstairs and then he went outside to check the house and talk to neighbors.

Virginia State Police said officers were notified of the potential crash shortly before 4 p.m. and rescuers reached the crash site by foot around four hours later. No survivors were found, police said.

‘NORAD aircraft also used flares in an attempt to draw attention from the pilot'

Monday 5 June 2023 21:00 , AP

The North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a statement that the military aircraft were authorized to travel at supersonic speeds, which caused a sonic boom that was heard in Washington and parts of Virginia and Maryland.

“During this event, the NORAD aircraft also used flares – which may have been visible to the public – in an attempt to draw attention from the pilot,” the NORAD statement said. “Flares are employed with highest regard for safety of the intercepted aircraft and people on the ground. Flares burn out quickly and completely and there is no danger to the people on the ground when dispensed.”

Six F-16 fighter jets were deployed to intercept the plane

Monday 5 June 2023 20:30 , AP

According to the Pentagon, six F-16 fighter jets were immediately deployed to intercept the plane. Two aircraft from the 113th Fighter Wing, out of Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, were the first to reach the Cessna to begin attempts to contact the pilot. Two F-16 aircraft out of New Jersey and two from South Carolina also responded to the incident.

Flight tracking sites showed the plane suffered a rapid spiralling descent, dropping at one point at a rate of more than 30,000 feet per minute before crashing in the St. Mary’s Wilderness.

Plane flew above some of the most heavily restricted airspace in the nation

Monday 5 June 2023 20:00 , AP

It was not immediately clear why the plane and pilot did not respond to radio transmissions, why it crashed or how many people were on board. The plane flew directly over the nation’s capital, though it was technically flying above some of the most heavily restricted airspace in the nation.

A U.S. official confirmed to The Associated Press that military aircraft had scrambled to respond to the small plane. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the military operation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

No survivors found after plane that flew over DC, led to fighter jets scramble crashes in Virginia

Monday 5 June 2023 19:30 , AP

A wayward and unresponsive business plane that flew over the nation’s capital Sunday afternoon caused the military to scramble fighter jets before the plane crashed in Virginia, officials said. The fighter jets caused a loud sonic boom that was heard across the capital region.

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

The Federal Aviation Administration says the Cessna Citation took off from Elizabethton, Tennessee, on Sunday and was headed for Long Island’s MacArthur Airport. Inexplicably, the plane turned around over New York’s Long Island and flew a straight path down over D.C. before it crashed over mountainous terrain near Montebello, Virginia, around 3:30 p.m.

Private jet passed over White House and US Capitol with unresponsive pilot

Monday 5 June 2023 19:00 , Joe Sommerlad

The thunderclap proved to have been caused by two F-16 fighter jets, travelling at supersonic speed as they were scrambled into action from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland to intercept a wayward Cessna 560 Citation V private jet.

The civilian aircraft had drifted over the capital’s restricted airspace without authorisation, passing such sensitive sites as the White House and the US Capitol, its pilot unresponsive.

President Joe Biden happened to be playing golf with his brother close to the very same air base and was briefed on the incident but not removed from the scene, according to a Secret Service spokesman.

DC stunned, a mysterious plane crash and a family ‘gone’: The story behind the weekend sonic boom

Monday 5 June 2023 18:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Residents of Washington DC were relishing the pleasant warmth of early summer on Sunday afternoon, relaxing in their backyards, listening to the birdsong or going about their chores at leisure, with nothing to disturb the peace of a fine sunny day.

Then, out of nowhere, the still tranquility was suddenly shattered by a huge sonic boom erupting in the skies overhead.

Dogs were sent barrelling from patio furniture, houses rocked where they stood and a couple sitting down to record a folk song were left wide-eyed with panic as the blast interrupted their performance, moments captured on video and documented on social media later that evening after the initial alarm had subsided.

Read more:

DC stunned, mysterious plane crash and family ‘gone’: Story behind weekend sonic boom

Flight path of Cessna plane shows aircraft turning around after reaching Long Island

Monday 5 June 2023 18:00 , Gustaf Kilander

National Transportation Safety Board begin crash investigation

Monday 5 June 2023 17:30 , Gustaf Kilander

The National Transportation Safety Board started their investigation into the crash on Monday, with a preliminary report expected in about three weeks.

The small plane, a Cessna Citation, left a small airport in Tennessee on Sunday. Set to fly to Long Island, it turned around after getting to New York and subsequently flew over Washington, DC.

The F-16s responded from Joint Base Andrews, in addition to other aircraft. The planes were authorized to fly at supersonic speeds, which led to the boom, according to The Washington Post.

The military planes were unsuccessful in contacting the private jet, which crashed at 3.30pm according to Virginia State Police.

‘The house rocked, the windows rattled ... We were obviously freaked out'

Monday 5 June 2023 17:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The F-16 fighter jets were authorized to travel at supersonic speeds, leading to a sonic boom above the US capital.

Chuck Martin felt the impact in Fairfax County, Virginia.

“The house rocked, the windows rattled, and it was done like that. We were obviously freaked out a little bit,” he told WJLA.

“I started calling the police. Their non-emergency line was busy forever. When I finally got through, they said, ‘Oh this DOD aircraft went supersonic, which sounded a little bit strange’,” he added.

VIDEO: Plane crashes after fighter jet scramble

Monday 5 June 2023 16:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Plane left ‘crater’ with few pieces of plane recognizable, first responders say

Monday 5 June 2023 16:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The plane that crashed near Raphine, Virginia left a “crater” at the crash site and likely struck the ground at a steep angle, four first responders have told CNN.

The anonymous emergency workers said there may have been about four pieces recognizable as being from the plane.

“There was nothing really bigger than your arm,” one of the responders told the network.

They also located signs of human remains.

PHOTOS: Emergency services respond to area near site of crash

Monday 5 June 2023 15:30 , Gustaf Kilander

DC stunned, a mysterious plane crash and a family ‘gone’: The story behind the weekend sonic boom

Monday 5 June 2023 15:00 , Joe Sommerlad

A huge sonic boom was heard over Washington DC on Sunday afternoon, startling local residents and reportedly causing houses to shake.

The thunderous sound proved to be caused by two F-16 fighter jets, travelling at supersonic speed as they were scrambled into action from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland to intercept a wayward Cessna 560 Citation V private jet.

The civilian aircraft had drifted over the capital’s restricted airspace without authorisation, passing such sensitive sites as the White House and US Capitol, with the pilot unresponsive.

President Joe Biden happened to be playing golf with his brother close to the very same air base and was briefed on the incident but not removed from the scene, according to a Secret Service spokesman.

DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management moved quickly to assure Washington residents that the boom did not indicate a terrorist incident and tweeted: “There is no threat at this time.”

Read more:

DC stunned, mysterious plane crash and family ‘gone’: Story behind weekend sonic boom

VIDEO: F-16 causes sonic boom in DC area

Monday 5 June 2023 14:38 , Gustaf Kilander

Expert suggests ‘hypoxia’ incapacitated private jet pilot

Monday 5 June 2023 14:00 , Joe Sommerlad

An aviation expert has suggested that hypoxia may have incapacitated the pilot of the Cessna Citation that led to the crash.

Steve Ganyard told ABC News that hypoxia “occurs when there is not enough oxygen in the cabin.” He believes the Sunday crash may be another example of hypoxia incapacitating those aboard the Cessna.

“The pressure should keep enough air in the cabin to stay alert and stay awake. In this case, it can happen insidiously where you lose consciousness, you begin to feel tingling, you get a sense of euphoria and it very slowly overcomes the people in the cabin,” Mr Ganyard said.

Meanwhile, it was reported that the pilot overshot the planned destination by 315 miles before crashing in the George Washington National Forest in Virginia.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the Cessna crash, it was reported.

Pilot of the private jet was ‘unresponsive’ even as F-16s used ‘flares’ to draw attention

Monday 5 June 2023 13:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Officials said that the pilot of the Cessna Citation private jet that flew into Washington DC’s airspace was “unresponsive” even as the F-16 jets — authorised to travel at supersonic speeds — used flares “in an attempt to draw attention from the pilot”.

The Federal Aviation Administration said that their jets did not shoot down the plane and that it is normal to call in jets if someone is flying unsafely.

The pilot of the civilian aircraft was unresponsive as the F-16 fighter jets attempted to make contact, Continental US North American Aerospace Defense Command Region said in a statement.

Earlier, a US official told ABC News that the pilot seemed to have “passed out”.

Barbara Rumpel: ‘My family is gone, my daughter and granddaughter’

Monday 5 June 2023 12:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Barbara Rumpel, the wife of the Florida businessman whose plane went down on Sunday, has confirmed the tragedy on Facebook, writing simply: “My family is gone, my daughter and granddaughter.”

According to The Daily Mail, the bereaved family are regular donors to conservative political causes, having supported Donald Trump in the past as well as Senate candidate Herschel Walker and far-right congressional candidate Laura Loomer.

Ms Rumpel was also a co-chair of the Second Amendment Coalition for Trump-Pence in 2016 and has been on the National Rifle Association’s Women’s Leadership Council since 2002 and its executive committee for at least six years.

Joe Biden briefed on air disaster but unaffected by security alert

Monday 5 June 2023 11:00 , Joe Sommerlad

President Joe Biden was playing golf with his brother at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland around the time the fighter jet took off yesterday so was not affected by the security alert sparked by the unresponsive plane.

Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the US Secret Service, said the incident had no impact on the president's movements on Sunday.

A White House official said the president had been briefed on the crash and that the sound of the scrambling aircraft was faint at Joint Base Andrews.

Recap: No survivors found after unresponsive plane crosses DC and crashes in Shenandoah Valley

Monday 5 June 2023 10:00 , Joe Sommerlad

If you’re just joining us, a wayward and unresponsive business plane that flew over Washington, DC, on Sunday afternoon caused the military to scramble a fighter jet before the plane crashed in Virginia, officials said.

The fighter jet caused a loud sonic boom that was heard across the capital region.

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

The Federal Aviation Administration says the Cessna Citation took off from Elizabethtown, Tennessee, on Sunday and was headed for Long Island's MacArthur Airport.

Inexplicably, the plane turned around over New York’s Long Island and flew a straight path down over DC before it crashed over mountainous terrain near Montebello, Virginia, around 3:30 p.m.

It was not immediately clear why the plane was nonresponsive, why it crashed or how many people were on board. The plane flew directly over the nation’s capital, though it was technically flying above some of the most heavily restricted airspace in the nation.

Florida businessman John Rumpel, 75, has since come forward to say that he owned the plane and that it was carrying his daughter, a two-year-old granddaughter, her nanny and the pilot when it went down.

Bevan Hurley has more details.

Sonic boom ‘explosion’ shakes Washington DC as fighter jets pursue unresponsive plane

Route of Cessna Citation private jet mapped

Monday 5 June 2023 09:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the flight of private jet began when the Cessna took off from Tennessee to Long Island, New York.

It had flown at an altitude of 34,000 and reached Long Island but did not land, instead heading back toward the DC area.

Flight data shows the jet flew directly over the centre of Washington DC, entering and passing through the city’s restricted airspace.

It reportedly overshot its destination by 315 miles before crashing in the Virginia wilderness.

ICYMI: Private jet overshot its planned destination by 315 miles before crashing

Monday 5 June 2023 08:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The pilot of the Cessna Citation private jet overshot its planned destination by 315 miles before crashing into the mountains of Virginia, sources familiar with the matter were quoted as saying by CNN.

Four people were reportedly on the private plane.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the flight began when the Cessna took off from Tennessee to Long Island, New York.

It had flown at an altitude of 34,000 and reached Long Island, but it appears not to have landed, instead heading back toward the DC area.

Meanwhile, Virginia State Police has said that no survivors were located at the crash site.

Authorities were notified around 3.50pm of a possible crash.

‘Nobody could survive a crash from that speed’

Monday 5 June 2023 08:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The owner of the private jet that crashed into the mountains of Virginia is certain “nobody could survive a crash from that speed”.

John Rumpel, 75, a Florida businessman who owned the Cessna Citation plane that flew into restricted Washington DC airspace before crashing told New York Times that he had little information about the crash but added if the plane lost pressurisation, “they all just would have gone to sleep and never woke up”.

“I don’t think they’ve found the wreckage yet,” Mr Rumpel said. “It descended at 20,000 feet a minute, and nobody could survive a crash from that speed.”

Mr Rumpel earlier said that the plane was carrying his daughter, a 2-year-old granddaughter, her nanny and the pilot.

What is a sonic boom?

Monday 5 June 2023 08:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A sonic boom is a thunder-like noise caused when an object, like an aircraft, flies overhead faster than the speed of sound.

According to Nasa, “the shock wave forms a ‘cone’ of pressurised or built-up air molecules, which move outward and rearward in all directions and extend all the way to the ground. As this cone spreads across the landscape along the flight path, it creates a continuous sonic boom along the full width of the cone’s base. The sharp release of pressure, after the buildup by the shock wave, is heard as the sonic boom”.

The change in air pressure associated with a sonic boom is only a few pounds per square foot – about the same pressure change experienced riding an elevator down two or three floors, Nasa website explains.

“It is the rate of change, the sudden changing of the pressure, which makes the sonic boom audible.”

Washington DC businessman says ‘entire family’ was on the private jet

Monday 5 June 2023 08:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

John Rumpel, a prominent Florida businessman was quoted as saying by The Washington Post that his “entire family” was on the plane when it crashed.

It was reported that at least four people were on the private jet that was chased by the F-16s causing a loud sonic boom over the Washington DC region.

Mr Rumpel identified himself as the owner of the private Cessna passenger aircraft, according to WaPo.

It said that his daughter, a grandchild and her nanny were on the plane when it crashed over the Virginia mountains.

“We know nothing about the crash,” he said. “We are talking to the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] now. … I’ve got to keep the line clear.”

Meanwhile, Virginia State Police said that they were unable to locate any survivors at the crash site so far.

Police say no survivors located at the crash site

Monday 5 June 2023 07:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Virginia State Police say they have been unable to locate any survivors at the crash site so far.

A private jet crashed into the mountains in Virginia after being chased by US Department of Defence fighter jets that led to a massive sonic boom over the capital region.

Jets were scrambled to intercept the plane after the pilot appeared to be unresponsive.

It was reported that four people were on board the Cessna small aircraft at the time.

A Florida businessman, John Rumpel, has said that his “entire family” was on the jet.

The Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] said in a statement that the Cessna appeared to have crashed at 3.30pm – around 10 minutes after the F-16s had intercepted it.

Two fighter jets authorised to fly at supersonic speeds caused the sonic boom

Monday 5 June 2023 07:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Two fighter jets were sent from Joint Base Andrews to intercept a private plane which entered restricted airspace over Washington DC yesterday afternoon.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command [Norad] said in a statement that two F-16 jets were deployed after the Cessna 560 Citation V flew over Washington and Northern Virginia.

Norad said that the fighter jets “were authorised to travel at supersonic speeds,” which led to a sonic boom heard in the capital region.

It was reported that the F-16s used flares to try and get the attention of the private jet’s pilot, who was unresponsive.

'Nobody could survive a crash from that speed’

Monday 5 June 2023 07:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The owner of the private jet that crashed into the mountains of Virginia is certain “nobody could survive a crash from that speed”.

John Rumpel, 75, a Florida businessman who owned the Cessna Citation plane that flew into restricted Washington DC airspace before crashing told New York Times that he had little information about the crash but added if the plane lost pressurisation, “they all just would have gone to sleep and never woke up”.

“I don’t think they’ve found the wreckage yet,” Mr Rumpel said. “It descended at 20,000 feet a minute, and nobody could survive a crash from that speed.”

Mr Rumpel earlier said that the plane was carrying his daughter, a 2-year-old granddaughter, her nanny and the pilot.

Private jet overshot its planned destination by 315 miles before crashing

Monday 5 June 2023 06:55 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The pilot of the Cessna Citation private jet overshot its planned destination by 315 miles before crashing into the mountains of Virginia, sources familiar with the matter were quoted as saying by CNN.

Four people were reportedly on the private plane.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the flight began when the Cessna took off from Tennessee to Long Island, New York.

It had flown at an altitude of 34,000 and reached Long Island, but it appears not to have landed, instead heading back toward the DC area.

Meanwhile, Virginia State Police has said that no survivors were located at the crash site.

Authorities were notified around 3.50pm of a possible crash.

ICYMI: Capitol Hill was briefly put on ‘elevated alert’

Monday 5 June 2023 06:47 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The US Capitol Police said on Sunday that the Capitol complex was placed on an “elevated alert” when the private jet flew over Washington DC’s airspace.

US Capitol Police said in a statement issued yesterday: “This afternoon, our officials were working closely with our federal partners to monitor an unresponsive pilot who was flying an airplane near the National Capital Region. The US Capitol Complex was briefly placed on an elevated alert until the airplane left the area.”

The US Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said that the incident “had no impact on Secret Service”.

Joe Biden was playing golf at the Andrews Air Force Base golf course near Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. He was briefed about the incident later.

What is a sonic boom?

Monday 5 June 2023 06:38 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A sonic boom is a thunder-like noise caused when an object, like an aircraft, flies overhead faster than the speed of sound.

According to Nasa, “the shock wave forms a ‘cone’ of pressurised or built-up air molecules, which move outward and rearward in all directions and extend all the way to the ground. As this cone spreads across the landscape along the flight path, it creates a continuous sonic boom along the full width of the cone’s base. The sharp release of pressure, after the buildup by the shock wave, is heard as the sonic boom”.

The change in air pressure associated with a sonic boom is only a few pounds per square foot – about the same pressure change experienced riding an elevator down two or three floors, Nasa website explains.

“It is the rate of change, the sudden changing of the pressure, which makes the sonic boom audible.”

Sonic boom heard over Washington DC

Monday 5 June 2023 06:14 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A sonic boom was heard all over Washington DC yesterday as fighter jets scrambled to meet an unresponsive private jet.

“We are aware of reports from communities throughout the National Capital Region of a loud ‘boom’ this afternoon,” DC Homeland Security & Emergency Management tweeted on Sunday afternoon after residents took to social media to share their experience of the sonic boom.

The agency added that “there is no threat at this time”.

Panicked residents take to social media as sonic boom heard over Washington DC

Monday 5 June 2023 06:08 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Panicked residents of Washington DC took to Twitter after a sonic boom was heard over the capital region on Sunday afternoon.

Route of Cessna Citation private jet mapped

Monday 5 June 2023 05:58 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the flight of private jet began when the Cessna took off from Tennessee to Long Island, New York.

It had flown at an altitude of 34,000 and reached Long Island but did not land, instead heading back toward the DC area.

Flight data shows the jet flew directly over the centre of Washington DC, entering and passing through the city’s restricted airspace.

It reportedly overshot its destination by 315 miles before crashing in the Virginia wilderness.

Capitol Hill was briefly put on ‘elevated alert’

Monday 5 June 2023 05:48 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The US Capitol Police said on Sunday that the Capitol complex was placed on an “elevated alert” when the private jet flew over Washington DC’s airspace.

US Capitol Police said in a statement issued yesterday: “This afternoon, our officials were working closely with our federal partners to monitor an unresponsive pilot who was flying an airplane near the National Capital Region. The US Capitol Complex was briefly placed on an elevated alert until the airplane left the area.”

The US Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said that the incident “had no impact on Secret Service”.

Joe Biden was playing golf at the Andrews Air Force Base golf course near Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. He was briefed about the incident later.

Expert suggests ‘hypoxia’ incapacitated private jet pilot

Monday 5 June 2023 05:40 , Maroosha Muzaffar

An aviation expert has suggested that hypoxia may have incapacitated the pilot of the Cessna Citation which led to the crash.

Steve Ganyard told ABC News that hypoxia “occurs when there is not enough oxygen in the cabin.” He believes the Sunday crash may be another example of hypoxia incapacitating those aboard the Cessna.

“The pressure should keep enough air in the cabin to stay alert and stay awake. In this case, it can happen insidiously where you lose consciousness, you begin to feel tingling, you get a sense of euphoria and it very slowly overcomes the people in the cabin,” Mr Ganyard said.

Meanwhile, it was reported that the pilot overshot the planned destination by 315 miles before crashing in the George Washington National Forest in Virginia.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the Cessna crash, it was reported.

Sonic boom ‘explosion’ shakes Washington DC as fighter jets react to unresponsive plane before crash

Monday 5 June 2023 05:25 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The Department of Defence scrambled fighter jets to intercept a private jet that entered Washington DC airspace and later crashed into mountainous terrain in southwest Virginia, officials said.

The F-16s caused a sonic boom that shook houses across the US Capital at around 3pm as they took off from Andrews Air Force Base in high speed pursuit of the Cessna Citation, a US official told Reuters.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told The Independent the aircraft had taken off from Tennessee bound for New York but had crashed into a sparsely populated area near Staunton, about 150 miles southwest of DC.

There was no immediate word on whether there were any casualties, or how many people were on board the Cessna, which can seat up to 12 passengers.

Read the full story by Bevan Hurley here:

Sonic boom ‘explosion’ shakes Washington DC as fighter jets pursue unresponsive plane

Private jet overshot its planned destination by 315 miles before crashing

Monday 5 June 2023 05:12 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The pilot of the Cessna Citation private jet overshot its planned destination by 315 miles before crashing into the mountains of Virginia, sources familiar with the matter were quoted as saying by CNN.

Four people were reportedly on the private plane.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the flight began when the Cessna took off from Tennessee to Long Island, New York.

It had flown at an altitude of 34,000 and reached Long Island, but it appears not to have landed, instead heading back toward the DC area.

Meanwhile, Virginia State Police has said that no survivors were located at the crash site.

Authorities were notified around 3.50pm of a possible crash.

Pilot of the private jet was ‘unresponsive’ even as F-16s used ‘flares’ to draw attention

Monday 5 June 2023 05:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Officials said that the pilot of the Cessna Citation private jet that flew into Washington DC’s airspace was “unresponsive” even as the F-16 jets — authorised to travel at supersonic speeds — used flares “in an attempt to draw attention from the pilot”.

The Federal Aviation Administration said that their jets did not shoot down the plane and that it is normal to call in jets if someone is flying unsafely.

The pilot of the civilian aircraft was unresponsive as the F-16 fighter jets attempted to make contact, Continental US North American Aerospace Defense Command Region said in a statement.

Earlier, a US official told ABC News that the pilot seemed to have “passed out”.

Police say no survivors located at the crash site

Monday 5 June 2023 04:59 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Virginia State Police say they have been unable to locate any survivors at the crash site so far.

A private jet crashed into the mountains in Virginia after being chased by US Department of Defence fighter jets that led to a massive sonic boom over the capital region.

Jets were scrambled to intercept the plane after the pilot appeared to be unresponsive.

It was reported that four people were on board the Cessna small aircraft at the time.

A Florida businessman, John Rumpel, has said that his “entire family” was on the jet.

The Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] said in a statement that the Cessna appeared to have crashed at 3.30pm – around 10 minutes after the F-16s had intercepted it.

Washington DC businessman says ‘entire family’ was on the private jet

Monday 5 June 2023 04:34 , Maroosha Muzaffar

John Rumpel, a prominent Florida businessman was quoted as saying by The Washington Post that his “entire family” was on the plane when it crashed.

It was reported that at least four people were on the private jet that was chased by the F-16s causing a loud sonic boom over the Washington DC region.

Mr Rumpel identified himself as the owner of the private Cessna passenger aircraft, according to WaPo.

It said that his daughter, a grandchild and her nanny were on the plane when it crashed over the Virginia mountains.

“We know nothing about the crash,” he said. “We are talking to the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] now. … I’ve got to keep the line clear.”

Meanwhile, Virginia State Police said that they were unable to locate any survivors at the crash site so far.

Monday 5 June 2023 04:09 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the loud sonic boom heard over the capital region