The United States scrambled F-16 fighter jets in a supersonic chase of a light aircraft with an unresponsive pilot that violated airspace in the Washington, D.C., area and later crashed into the mountains of Virginia, officials said.
The fighter jets prompted a sonic boom over the U.S. capital in an attempt to pursue with the errant Cessna Citation, officials said, causing consternation among people in the Washington area.
Four people were on board the Cessna, a source familiar with the matter said. A Cessna Citation can carry seven to 12 passengers.