Virginia State Police have suspended search efforts and „no survivors were located,“ officials confirmed to Newsweek.
The Cessna 560 flew near Washington, D.C restricted airspace and triggered fighter jets to pursue at „supersonic speeds,“ in response to the „unresponsive“ plane, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirmed in an online statement. The private jet was „intercepted“ by the F-16 jets at roughly 3:20 p.m. local time.
„The NORAD aircraft were authorized to travel at supersonic speeds and a sonic boom may have been heard by residents of the region,“ the aerospace organization confirmed, adding that it was acting in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
In an effort to get the Cessna pilot’s attention, NORAD said the F-16s used flares, saying those „may have been visible to the public.
