DC/VA - Light plane crashes after chase by jet fighters in Washington area, 4 June 2023

[MsMarple]

Narrative:
A Cessna 560 Citation V, N611VG, was presumably destroyed when it disappeared from radar screens and crashed near Staunton, Virginia.

ADS-B data show that the airplane conducted a course reversal about 1h15m into the flight, the airplane flew past the reported destination of Long Island MacArthur Airport (KISP), New York, and continued on a straight path for about 50m. The data shows that the airplane began a rapid descending right spiral from 34000 feet, followed by another spiral at 20000 feet, the last ADS-B return showed an average rate of -28864 ft/min

Incident Cessna 560 Citation V N611VG, 04 Jun 2023

A Cessna 560 Citation V, N611VG, was presumably destroyed when it disappeared from radar screens and crashed near Staunton, Virginia. ADS-B data show that the airplane conducted a course...

aviation-safety.net

 

[formerjerseygirl]

UPDATE 8:02 p.m.

Fire/rescue has located the crash site.

FAA confirms crash of plane in 'mountainous terrain,' social media tags Staunton

The FAA has confirmed the crash of a plane.

www.newsleader.com

 

[formerjerseygirl]

UPDATE 8:18 p.m.

"Forestry has fire-fighters en route."

There's been no characterization of the state of the crash scene on rescue traffic.

FAA confirms crash of plane in 'mountainous terrain,' social media tags Staunton

The FAA has confirmed the crash of a plane.

www.newsleader.com

 

[Gardenista]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1665515666214928384

 

[fred&edna]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1665489769432793088

 

[vls12345]

Pentagon Jets Chased Passed-Out Cessna Pilot Over D.C. Before Crash

Reuters/Jason ReedA Cessna aircraft with an unresponsive pilot and passengers on board prompted an aerial chase with Pentagon jets Sunday when it crossed into protected U.S. airspace over Washington, D.C.—causing a sonic boom heard across the Washington D.C. area, officials said.In a statement...

finance.yahoo.com

 

[formerjerseygirl]

UPDATE 8:39 p.m.

Forestry is still several minutes away from the site, and first responders have now moved 100 yards uphill of the crash site to get away from the smoke.

FAA confirms crash of plane in 'mountainous terrain,' social media tags Staunton

The FAA has confirmed the crash of a plane.

www.newsleader.com

 

[Gardenista]

Pentagon Jets Chased Passed-Out Cessna Pilot Over D.C. Before Crash

Reuters/Jason ReedA Cessna aircraft with an unresponsive pilot and passengers on board prompted an aerial chase with Pentagon jets Sunday when it crossed into protected U.S. airspace over Washington, D.C.—causing a sonic boom heard across the Washington D.C. area, officials said.In a statement...

finance.yahoo.com

This is what one of the pilots on twitter said several hours ago - he/she heard the transmission at the time

At least one of the jet pilots saw the Cessna’s pilot “passed out,” a U.S. official told ABC News. In a statement Sunday night, U.S. Capitol Police said officials were working with federal partners to “monitor an unresponsive pilot who was flying an airplane near the National Capital Region.”

 

[Seni]

Many thanks for the minute by minute updates.

So far sounding as if plane veered from set course and went into nose dive?

Thanks for keeping us informed.

 

[musicaljoke]

UPDATE 8:39 p.m.

Forestry is still several minutes away from the site, and first responders have now moved 100 yards uphill of the crash site to get away from the smoke.

FAA confirms crash of plane in 'mountainous terrain,' social media tags Staunton

The FAA has confirmed the crash of a plane.

www.newsleader.com

Shouldn't you move downhill to get away from smoke? And certainly downhill to get away from any potential forest fire.

 

[IceIce9]

Hypoxia due to cabin depressurization?

Payne Stewart was my first thought.

 

[Gardenista]

Many thanks for the minute by minute updates.

So far sounding as if plane veered from set course and went into nose dive?

Thanks for keeping us informed.

I'm not 100% sure on this, but my take is the plane was on auto-pilot and was supposed to land in NY. There was some type of medical event and the autopilot took them generally back the way they came. Even though they were really high up in restricted air space near DC, the military was concerned because the pilot was not responding to radio transmissions. So they scrambled the fighter jets and authorized super sonic speeds which is why there was a sonic boom. One of the fighter pilots was able to get eyes on the pilot who looked to be passed out. Thankfully, it crashed in an unpopulated area. Hoping it was hypoxia, because that means everyone on the plane was passed out and had no idea what was happening.

 

[ifindedout]

I'm not 100% sure on this, but my take is the plane was on auto-pilot and was supposed to land in NY. There was some type of medical event and the autopilot took them generally back the way they came. Even though they were really high up in restricted air space near DC, the military was concerned because the pilot was not responding to radio transmissions. So they scrambled the fighter jets and authorized super sonic speeds which is why there was a sonic boom. One of the fighter pilots was able to get eyes on the pilot who looked to be passed out. Thankfully, it crashed in an unpopulated area. Hoping it was hypoxia, because that means everyone on the plane was passed out and had no idea what was happening.

I'm somewhat surprised the cockpit window wasn't iced over, like the intercepting F-16s saw on the Payne Stewart flight. Of course that was much higher, reaching an incredible 48,900 feet (FL 489) maximum.

 

[Gardenista]

Good videos with the boom in this story

Florida businessman says his family were on Cessna that crashed

A small plane that flew over a restricted area of Washington DC likely prompted the Pentagon to scramble an interceptor fighter jet Sunday afternoon.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[formerjerseygirl]

UPDATE 9:20 p.m.

Based on the most recent coordinates provided and from radio traffic, the crash site is two ridges north of the Parkway.

FAA confirms crash of plane in 'mountainous terrain,' social media tags Staunton

The FAA has confirmed the crash of a plane.

www.newsleader.com

 

[Gardenista]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1665540467633651715

 

[Gardenista]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1665533080025587712

 

[Gardenista]

Sonic Boom Heard Across D.C. Area Was From Military Jets, Officials Say

The noise, which startled residents and shook buildings, was caused by an authorized military flight that responded to an intrusion into restricted airspace, U.S. and military officials said.

www.nytimes.com

Mr. Rumpel, who is also a pilot, said that he had little information about the circumstances of the crash, but hoped they had not suffered. His voice breaking, he said that if the plane lost pressurization, “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.”

 

[Gardenista]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1665540391263772674

 

[whitelilac]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1665540391263772674

Wait, these pictures are from a news helicopter?
Closeups of the wreckage ?

Highly insensitive.

From what I gather the response team isn't even there on the ground yet.

Such a horrible tragedy....