2023 Virginia plane crash
.jpg) A Cessna 560 Citation V similar to the one involved in the accident | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | June 4, 2023 |
| Summary | Crashed to the ground, under investigation |
| Site | Mine Bank Mountain, George Washington National Forest, Virginia, United States 37°55′18″N 79°06′13″W / 37.921573°N 79.103668°W |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 560 Citation V |
| Operator | Privately owned |
| Registration | N611VG |
| Flight origin | Elizabethton Municipal Airport |
| Stopover | Long Island MacArthur Airport |
| Passengers | 3 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Fatalities | 4 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Survivors | 0 |
On June 4, 2023, a privately operated Cessna 560 Citation V carrying three passengers and a pilot crashed at approximately 3:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) near George Washington National Forest, Virginia, killing everyone on board, after the crew had been found unresponsive. The plane had previously entered the no-fly zone over Washington, D.C., and was intercepted by F-16 fighter jets before it crashed. As of June 6, 2023, the accident is under investigation.
Accident
The plane involved in the accident was a Cessna 560 Citation V, registered N611VG to Encore Motors of Melbourne, a Florida-based company under the ownership of John and Barbara Rumpel.[1][2] It departed from Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Elizabethton, Tennessee, at approximately 1:15 p.m. EDT, bound for Long Island MacArthur Airport (ICAO: KISP) in New York. According to an NTSB spokesman, fifteen minutes after takeoff, air traffic control instructed the pilot to maintain altitude at 31,000 feet (9,449 m), but he did not respond. The plane continued climbing until reaching a cruising altitude of 34,000 feet (10,363 m) and proceeded to fly on the correct bearing to land at MacArthur Airport.[1]
After reaching Long Island, the plane failed to timely descend on approach, instead turning around and heading in the direction of its origin. The flight continued on until it eventually entered the no-fly zone over Washington, D.C, prompting a somewhat delayed reaction from the authorities.[1] The U.S. Capitol complex, including the offices of the Aviation Subcommittees of both Houses of Congress,[3][4] was placed on "elevated alert" when the plane flew over the restricted airspace as reported by the U.S. Capitol Police.[5] After being informed of the incursion, NORAD deployed six F-16 fighter jets to intercept the plane. The F-16s caused a sonic boom over Washington, D.C., while responding to the airspace intrusion.[6][7]
Interception and crash
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The Cessna was intercepted at approximately 3:20 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Two jets from the 113th Fighter Wing at Joint Base Andrews were the first to reach the Cessna and attempted to contact the pilot.[8] F-16s used flares to draw the Cessna pilot's attention, although the plane's pilot was unresponsive. The flight continued on, flying past Washington, D.C., and entering the state of Virginia, until crashing at approximately 3:30 p.m. EDT.[9] Tracking data from FlightAware indicated that the plane flew over Washington, D.C., at an altitude of 34,000 feet (10,363 m) before it crashed.[10]
According to preliminary reports by the FAA, the plane "crashed into mountainous terrain in a sparsely populated area of southwest Virginia".[1] The crash site was later determined to be on Mine Bank Mountain,[11] in George Washington Forest. Before crashing, the Cessna overshot its destination by 315 miles (274 nmi; 507 km).[12] Virginia State Police were notified of the accident at approximately 3:50 p.m. EDT.[9]
Passengers and crew
As of June 6, 2023, the victims have not been officially identified by the FAA or the NTSB and the accident is under investigation. The FAA confirmed four people died as a result of the crash.[2] According to unofficial reports from The New York Times, John Rumpel's daughter, granddaughter, her nanny, as well as the pilot were on board the plane during the crash.[1] In an interview, John Rumpel, who was not aboard at the time of the accident, said that the Cessna "descended at 20,000 feet a minute".[1]
Aftermath and investigation
First responders who were notified of the crash at 3:50 p.m. EDT reported that no survivors were found in the wreckage. CNN reported that the plane left a "crater", leading responders to believe that it impacted the ground at a very steep angle.[5] As of June 6, 2023, the accident is under investigation by the FAA and the NTSB.[9][1][13]
Cause
As of June 6, 2023, the cause of the accident has not yet been determined. The owner of the aircraft has speculated that the crash may have been caused by hypoxia resulting from the loss of cabin pressure, rendering the passengers and the pilot unconscious.[14] U.S. officials said that the intercept pilots had seen the Cessna's pilot "passed out" at the controls.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Barnes, Julian E.; Albeck-Ripka, Livia; Hauser, Christine; Walker, Mark (June 4, 2023). "Investigators Seek Answers About Plane Crash That Followed Sonic Boom Scare". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- ^ a b "FAA Accident and Incident Notification(s): Notice(s) Created 05-JUN-23". Federal Aviation Administration. June 5, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ "Committee Membership List, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation". senate.gov. Office of the Secretary Webmaster. June 5, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
Majority Members (7) Duckworth, Tammy (IL), Chairman[...]Minority Members (6) Moran, Jerry (KS), Ranking Member
- ^ Harclerode, Justin (June 5, 2023). "Aviation Subcommittee, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Republican office, U.S. House of Representatives". transportation.house.gov. Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Republican office, U.S. House of Representatives, 2165 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ a b Wolfe, Elizabeth; Bertrand, Natasha; Britzky, Haley; Muntean, Pete; Todd, Brian; Koenig, Lauren; Mascarenhas, Lauren (June 5, 2023). "First responders say fatal crash of unresponsive plane left a 'crater' with few recognizable pieces". CNN. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ a b Martinez, Luis (June 5, 2023). "Sonic boom: Unresponsive plane over DC leads F-16s to investigate". ABC News.
- ^ Shepardson, David; Stewart, Phil (June 4, 2023). "Fighter jets chase small plane in Washington area before it crashes in Virginia". Reuters. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ Balsamo, Michael; Thomas, Ashley (June 4, 2023). "No survivors found after plane that flew over DC and led to fighter jet scramble crashes in Virginia". AP NEWS. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ a b c Dev, S. (June 5, 2023). "Military jets scrambled due to unresponsive small plane over Washington that then crashed in Virginia". CBS News. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ Cavaliere, Victoria; Levin, Alan (June 4, 2023). "US F-16 Triggers Sonic Boom Pursuing Cessna That Crashed". Bloomberg News. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ Zinn, Brad (June 5, 2023). "Four dead in Augusta County plane crash on Mine Bank Mountain; investigators comb wreckage". The News Leader. Staunton, Virginia.
- ^ Bertrand, Natasha; Britzky, Haley (June 4, 2023). "No survivors found at Virginia plane crash site after US fighter jets attempted to intercept its unresponsive pilot, police say". CNN. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ "ASN Aircraft accident Cessna 560 Citation V N611VG Staunton, VA". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ Bacon, John; Brook, Tom Vanden; Nguyen, Thao (June 5, 2023). "Scrambled F-16s, a sonic boom and plane crash mystery in Virginia: What we know". USA Today.