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The Cessna 560 Citation V went down in southwestern Virginia in the area of the George Washington & Jefferson National Forest near Charlottesville, at around 3:30 p.m. Sunday, June 4, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
It was en route for Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma after departing from Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Elizabethton, Tennessee, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The FAA and NTSB are investigating.
The identities of the plane's occupants have not yet been released.
The private plane pilot was unresponsive as the pilots of the F-16 fighter jets, who were authorized to travel at supersonic speeds, attempted to make contact, according to the Continental North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Region.
NORAD said the F-16s used spares -- which may have been visible to the public -- in an attempt to draw attention from the pilot.
"Flares are employed with highest regard for safety of the intercepted aircraft and people on the ground," NORAD said. "Flares burn out quickly and complete and there is no danger to the people on the ground when dispensed."
The FAA and NTSB are investigating the cause of the crash.
This is a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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