WASHINGTON, June 4 — US authorities said a jet fighter chase after a light aircraft that had violated airspace over the Washington DC area, then crashed into mountainous terrain in southwest Virginia, US officials said.
Officials said jet fighters caused a sonic boom in the US capital as they raced to catch the Cessna Citation, which can carry seven to 12 passengers.
The Federal Aviation Administration said a Cessna plane crashed into mountainous terrain in southwest Virginia just as a sonic boom was heard in the capital.
A US official said the jet fighters did not cause the crash.
Reporting by David Lauder, Daniel Trotta, Ted Hessen, Rachel Levy and Diane Bartz; Editing by Ross Colvin
Bill Stewart has reported from more than 60 countries, including Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, China and South Sudan. An award-winning Washington-based national security correspondent, Bill has appeared on NPR, PBS NewsHour, Fox News and other programs and moderated national security events, including the Reagan National Security Forum and the German Marshall Fund. He is the Edwin M. for Diplomatic Correspondence. Hood Award and Joe Galloway Award recipient.
Ted Hesson
Thomson Reuters
Ted Hessen is an immigration correspondent for Reuters in Washington, DC, whose work focuses on the policy and politics of immigration, asylum and border security. Before joining Reuters in 2019, Ted worked at the news organization POLITICO, where she also covered immigration. His articles have appeared in POLITICO Magazine, The Atlantic and VICE News, among other publications. Ted holds a master’s degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College.
