Sonic boom latest news: F-16s chasing a private jet caused a loud sonic boom across the capital region

File. The Pentagon is seen from Air Force One while flying over Washington, March 2, 2022. — A wayward and unresponsive business jet flying over the nation’s capital on Sunday afternoon, June 4, 2023 prompted the military , a fighter jet crashed before the jet crashed in Virginia, officials said

(Associated Press)

The US Department of Defense used fighter jets to intercept a private jet that entered Washington DC airspace and later crashed in the mountains of Virginia, officials said.

According to local reports, the chase caused a sonic boom over Washington DC on Sunday afternoon, sending many residents panicking as their homes shook.

Officials said the pilot of the Cessna Citation private jet was unresponsive and around 3 p.m. F-16 planes took off from Andrews Air Force Base in pursuit of the stray plane at high speed.

The Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] told The Independent The plane had taken off from Tennessee bound for New York but eventually crashed into a sparsely populated area near Staunton, about 150 miles southwest of DC.

There were four people on board the Cessna, Reuters quoted a source familiar with the matter as saying. A Cessna Citation can carry seven to twelve passengers.