WASHINGTON, D.C. — Residents in the nation’s capital and surrounding communities were left in terror and bewilderment over the weekend, echoing memories of 9/11.
According to officials, a small passenger plane flew over Washington D.C. Sunday afternoon, sparking a response from the United States military.
Fighter jets from Joint Base Andrews were scrambled to intercept an unresponsive plane whose pilot could not be hailed on the radio. The fighter jets broke the sound barrier, causing thundering booms to be heard across the region. The plane eventually crashed in a rural part of Montebello, Virginia. No survivors were located.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the Cessna Citation took off from Tennesse on Sunday and was en route to Long Island. At some point, FAA investigators said, the plane turned around and flew directly over Washington before crashing around 3:30 p.m.
Federal authorities are still investigating the incident and are working to determine why the plane flew over some of the most restrictive airspace in the world.
