Unresponsive pilot seen slumped over before deadly Virginia plane crash, officials say

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According to two U.S. officials, the pilot of a business jet that crashed in a remote area of Virginia after flying over Washington appeared to be slumped over and unresponsive. The observations were made by fighter pilots who intercepted the aircraft. The crash resulted in the tragic death of four individuals, including the daughter and 2-year-old granddaughter of the plane’s owner, John Rumpel, as reported by The New York Times. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the military operation, were briefed on the matter.

The incident occurred on Sunday when the plane, bound for New York, deviated from its flight path and inexplicably turned back over Long Island, flying directly over the nation’s capital. This prompted the military to scramble fighter jets, causing a sonic boom heard in Washington, Maryland, and Virginia.

The investigation into the crash is facing significant challenges due to the remote and rugged terrain of the crash site near Montebello, approximately 60 miles (97 km) southwest of Charlottesville. It took several hours for investigators to reach the area, and they anticipate remaining on-site for at least three to four days, according to NTSB spokesperson Eric Weiss. Adam Gerhardt, an NTSB investigator, stated that the wreckage is extensively fragmented, and delicate evidence will be examined at the site before potentially being transported to Delaware for further analysis, possibly by helicopter. While the aircraft is not required to have a flight recorder, there may be other avionics equipment that could provide valuable data for examination.

The Virginia State Police announced that human remains from the crash will be transported to the state medical examiner’s office for autopsy and identification. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the victims included the pilot and three passengers but withheld their names. There were no survivors.

During the investigation, authorities will focus on determining when the pilot became unresponsive and why the aircraft deviated from its intended path. Factors such as the plane, its engines, weather conditions, pilot qualifications, and maintenance records will be thoroughly examined, according to Gerhardt. A preliminary report is expected to be released within 10 days.

The White House expressed its deepest condolences to the families affected by the crash. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby emphasized the importance of keeping them at the forefront of everyone’s thoughts. Kirby deferred questions regarding the security response over Washington airspace to the Pentagon and U.S. Secret Service but described the actions taken as a “classic, textbook response.”

Recordings from Air Traffic Control captured military pilots attempting to communicate with the pilot of the private plane in the half-hour preceding the crash. The Cessna Citation, which departed from Elizabethton, Tennessee, was en route to Long Island’s MacArthur Airport before reversing its course and crashing at approximately 3:30 p.m. The Pentagon dispatched six F-16 fighter jets, including aircraft from the 113th Fighter Wing in Maryland, to intercept the plane. The rapid spiral descent of the aircraft, with a descent rate of over 30,000 feet (9,144 meters) per minute, was tracked by flight monitoring sites until it crashed in the St. Mary’s Wilderness.

Eyewitnesses in Fairfax, Virginia, including Travis Thornton and his wife, Hannah, were startled by a loud rumble and rattling before the crash. Thornton captured the moment on video, which recorded the commotion. The couple quickly checked on their children upstairs and inspected their home before speaking with neighbors. Travis Thornton later tweeted about the incident. The crashed aircraft was registered to Encore Motors of Melbourne Inc., a Florida-based company owned by pilot John Rumpel. Rumpel mentioned that his family was returning to their home in East Hampton, Long Island, after visiting his North Carolina residence.

John Rumpel speculated that the plane might have experienced pressurization loss, as it descended rapidly at a speed that would be unsurvivable upon impact.

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More about plane crash investigation

• New York Times: Unresponsive Pilot Seen Before Deadly Virginia Plane Crash
• CNN: No Survivors Found After Plane Crashes in Virginia
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
• National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
• Virginia State Police
• Pentagon
• LiveATC.net