Federal Investigators Probing Fatal Crash of Unresponsive Plane Intercepted near DC | Latest News

Federal investigators are currently conducting an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding a fatal crash involving an unresponsive plane that was intercepted by US fighter jets near Washington, DC. The incident occurred on Sunday and resulted in the aircraft going down in northern Virginia, with no survivors, as confirmed by authorities.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is sending investigators to the crash site today to begin documenting the scene and examining the aircraft, according to a statement released by the agency.

The small civilian plane, a Cessna 560 Citation V, had departed from Elizabethton, Tennessee, and was en route to New York's Long Island MacArthur Airport, as reported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The investigation aims to determine the reasons behind the significant deviation from the intended flight path, as well as the causes of the crash itself. Details regarding the exact sequence of events leading up to the incident remain unclear at this time.

Upon the plane's approach to the US Capitol region on Sunday afternoon, the US Capitol Police elevated security measures in response to the potential threat. Fighter jets, specifically General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons, were dispatched by the Continental US North American Aerospace Defense Command Region to intercept the unresponsive aircraft. As the F-16s reached the Cessna, they deployed flares in an attempt to establish contact with the pilot, who was unresponsive. Tragically, the Cessna subsequently crashed near the George Washington National Forest in Virginia. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) made efforts to establish communication with the pilot before the crash occurred.

It is important to note that the F-16 jets did not engage in any actions to shoot down the aircraft. According to a US official, it is customary for the FAA to deploy fighter jets when a plane is flying unsafely.

State and local authorities conducted an extensive search in Virginia, near the city of Staunton, following reports of a possible crash. The wreckage was eventually located on Sunday evening, but no survivors were found among the plane's passengers.

The private aircraft is registered to Encore Motors of Melbourne, Inc., a Florida-based company, as per FAA records. The husband of Barbara Rumpel, listed as the president of Encore Motors, confirmed that they own the aircraft. John Rumpel, in an interview with The New York Times, stated that his wife is safe but declined to provide further details. The New York Times also reported that John Rumpel disclosed his daughter, 2-year-old granddaughter, and the nanny were on board the plane, returning home to East Hampton, New York, after visiting their family in North Carolina.

During the incident, the US Capitol Complex was placed on an "elevated alert" status by the US Capitol Police. President Joe Biden, who was golfing at Andrews Air Force Base near Maryland's Joint Base Andrews, was briefed on the incident but remained secure under the protection of the US Secret Service.

As the investigation progresses, federal authorities will gather critical information to determine the causes behind this tragic crash and the events leading up to it.