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.
